The independent MP from Chania, Pavlos Polakis, seems to have adopted the teachings of Mao Zedong, particularly the idea that surprise can become the most dangerous form of attack in guerrilla warfare. As if prepared for some time, the former Deputy Health Minister attempted to catch SYRIZA-PS President Stefanos Kasselakis, who was until recently his intra-party ally, and the top officials of Koumoundourou by surprise, openly raising the issue of leadership at the first meeting of the Political Secretariat of the main opposition party after the summer break.
In an effort to completely steer internal party developments and accelerate future decisions regarding the party’s identity and functioning, Pavlos Polakis chose a “guerrilla” approach, showing no signs of backing down for now. This move has pleased thousands of his supporters, including prominent party figures, who have been urging him over the past month to take the lead and make a bold move before deterioration sets in. With the aim of achieving “significant changes” in the party and its opposition stance, Mr. Polakis has unleashed a storm and likely initiated a new race for leadership within SYRIZA-PS, positioning himself at the starting line of the internal contest, which now seems to be attracting many contenders.
In a surprising move, independent MP from Chania, Pavlos Polakis, recently expelled from SYRIZA-PS’s Parliamentary Group, unexpectedly raised the issue of leadership during a Political Secretariat meeting held at the end of the week. Polakis criticized current party leader Stefanos Kasselakis, describing him as ineffective in generating satisfactory opposition efforts or a programmatic narrative strong enough to potentially bring down the Mitsotakis government.
Polakis also accused Kasselakis of allowing political gossip to dominate the main opposition’s agenda, while emphasizing the need for “significant changes” in the party’s political presence as members return from their summer break. With the attendees in shock, Polakis quickly clarified that he intends to contribute positively to the reorganization of SYRIZA. Kasselakis, caught off guard, chose not to immediately respond to Polakis’ challenge during the party meeting.
Members of the “87” group, closely aligned with former Prime Minister and SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras, were equally surprised but more organized in their reaction. They left the meeting in protest, realizing that the convening of the Secretariat was a pretext to ignite internal conflict within the main opposition.
For seasoned internal observers, the turning point in the relationship between Kasselakis and Polakis, who had once been a key supporter of Kasselakis, came during the European elections. Polakis publicly attributed a significant portion of the blame for the party’s poor performance to Kasselakis during a live television broadcast. He criticized the excessive focus on Kasselakis’ personal life, wealth, and choice of partner, which he believed contributed to the party’s defeat, yet the leadership failed to treat these issues as urgent.
The incidents that intervened include his sexist attack on Maria Syrengela, his systematic absences from party meetings, and finally, the episode in the Social Affairs Committee of the Parliament, where the former Deputy Minister of Health of SYRIZA – P.S. was the protagonist. The spontaneous reaction of his colleague Athina Linou and a collaborator of the Minister of Health, Adonis Georgiadis, who burst into tears, led to Mr. Polakis’ exclusion from the party’s parliamentary group.
Since then, the emotional distance between the current party president and the now-independent MP from Chania seemed unbridgeable. Meanwhile, Pavlos Polakis received unprecedented waves of support from middle-ranking officials, members, and voters of SYRIZA – P.S., who were furious with the party president for his expulsion. This barrage of online comments, which did not go unnoticed by the party headquarters in Koumoundourou, included dozens of messages from party base members urging the former Deputy Minister to run for party leadership or even establish a new party.
In the month that passed between his expulsion and his direct challenge to Mr. Kasselakis, Pavlos Polakis was counting his internal party forces, attacking the government and its top ministers daily, such as the Minister of Health, Adonis Georgiadis, while refraining from the summer political battles of Koumoundourou, avoiding vigorously defending the leadership’s choices.
Even more striking was the absence of Mr. Polakis’ signature among those of the MPs loyal to the party president, Stefanos Kasselakis, known as “Kasselistas,” who called on the alternates to resign from their right to take the vacant parliamentary seat left by the resignation of Othon Iliopoulos, paving the way for Mr. Kasselakis to enter Parliament. On the contrary, the former Deputy Minister of Health seemed to set his own opposition agenda throughout the summer, starting with the fires in Penteli and ending with the “privatization” of public health, disregarding the priorities of Koumoundourou and the personal actions of the SYRIZA – P.S. president.
Moreover, this was not the first time that Stefanos Kasselakis and Pavlos Polakis came to the brink of rupture, as happened last winter over the law concerning same-sex couples. The removal of Mr. Polakis from the position of coordinator of the SYRIZA – P.S. Parliamentary Group, which followed, was interpreted by many as the first act of Mr. Kasselakis’ detachment from his most powerful internal party supporter.
Seeming not to forget, the independent MP from Chania does not appear to have gotten over the candidacy of Vassilis Kasselakis, cousin of the SYRIZA – P.S. president, in the last European elections, especially when his future participation in the Chania constituency was almost certain. The young doctor has recently posted on social media regarding a traffic accident in the region, indirectly emphasizing his family’s local roots.
