The dismissal of Stefanos Kasselakis from the position of SYRIZA president by an enhanced majority of the Central Committee (163 yes and 123 no and null/blank votes) leads the main opposition party into new internal elections within a year. At the same time, it brings Alexis Tsipras back to the forefront, who played a role in both the election of Kasselakis and his removal a year later.

Stefanos Kasselakis, after the overwhelming vote result against him on the no-confidence motion submitted by 100 members of the party’s Organ, loyal to Alexis Tsipras and supported by Pavlos Polakis’ group, signaled his desire to cut ties with the party’s “nomenclature” and said he would answer to the party base. This leaves two options open: either he runs again for leadership or moves forward with the creation of a new political entity.

Just hours before the Central Committee meeting, renowned lyricist Nikos Moraitis, a known supporter of Stefanos Kasselakis, posted that SYRIZA “was, is, and always will be the party of Alexis Tsipras,” while also predicting Kasselakis’ defeat in the no-confidence vote.

Kasselakis’ message to the party members who voted against him was essentially “either me or all of you.” Even before the no-confidence motion was submitted, he had warned his internal critics that he draws legitimacy from the party base, distinguishing the 2019 SYRIZA electoral base from that of 2024, which he believes aligns with him rather than Alexis Tsipras and his supporters.

Kasselakis and his team believe that the 15% the party received in the June European elections belongs to him, not to SYRIZA. They also point to recent polls, such as one by Interview, which shows the main opposition party in 5th place in voting intentions but gives Kasselakis significantly higher approval ratings.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in SYRIZA is becoming more toxic, with supporters of Stefanos Kasselakis—such as Nina Kasimati—using incendiary language against his internal opponents, signaling a particularly tense pre-election battle.

So far, however, only Pavlos Polakis’ candidacy for party president seems certain. He has expressed his availability for the position and is credited with the increased majority by which the no-confidence vote passed, as some SYRIZA members believe he managed to win over several of Kasselakis’ supporters.

Pavlos Polakis has well-known bad relations with Alexis Tsipras’ “presidential guard” and hopes to win votes from those who supported Stefanos Kasselakis in the September elections.

However, the pro-Tsipras camp does not currently have an obvious candidate. Olga Gerovasili does not appear willing to run for leadership again, as she did at the party congress last February, after Tsipras had already called for new internal elections.

From Tsipras’ camp, Sokratis Famellos has once again left open the possibility of running for party president. Kasselakis had suddenly removed him from the position of parliamentary group leader in an attempt to forge an alliance with Nikos Pappas, a move that ultimately failed to prevent his removal by the Central Committee majority.

Nikolas Farantouris has also left the door open for a potential candidacy, carrying the legacy of the 154,000 votes he received in the European elections.