The morale of the members of the “87” group within the SYRIZA Progressive Alliance has been uplifted due to the high turnout at Tsipras’s event at the Piraeus Municipal Theater on the economy and inflation, which occurred just before the intense internal party battle for the election of delegates and the organization of the extraordinary Congress.
In the aftermath of Tsipras’s statements, predicting that the “great majority” of society will “eventually” gain the “political representation it deserves,” members of the “87” held a video conference last night to prepare nationwide for the electoral process next weekend, when ballots will be set up for the election of delegates and to assess the atmosphere within the party after recent developments.
Stefanos Kasselakis also held meetings with his team and members of the Central Committee supporting him, as he inaugurated his offices in Tavros yesterday. In his brief statement, Kasselakis conveyed that “there are no presidential candidates” and that “they will only exist at the Congress,” while hinting at his predecessor by stating that “SYRIZA must not become a component of pseudo-center-left interests without the will of the base.”
When asked yesterday on ERT about the Tsipras Institute event, Kasselakis claimed he did not attend but stated, “I am here to not be a transitional president” of a “merger of parties,” suggesting there are plans to undermine him. “When you see people who have acted undemocratically within the party supporting discussions for new entities,” he remarked, emphasizing that his participation in SYRIZA in 2023 aimed to avoid backing former ministerial councils and past governments. In contrast, he asserted, “under my presidency, SYRIZA will not be liquidated or merged into any structure,” further stating, “I can work with Nikos Androulakis.”
Open Possibility of Departure
At the same time, Kasselakis left open the possibility of leaving the party amid the preparations for the Congress, responding that “my intention is to stay in SYRIZA, but that depends on whether the Congress process is democratic.” He continued, “if there are significant deficiencies in the Members’ Register, we need to discuss how the base is democratically represented.” He argued that if SYRIZA fails to hold a Congress or conducts delegate selection undemocratically, “then we must state the obvious,” indirectly questioning the internal party process. He noted the potential departure of MPs who support him after the internal elections, stating, “if there is a lack of democracy at the end of the day in SYRIZA, it will ultimately affect the decisions of many,” as expressed by the former President of SYRIZA PS.
Wave of Support for Papas
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s move to leave the chamber during the speech of SYRIZA PS Parliamentary Group President Nikos Papas has provoked intense discontent within SYRIZA PS. Mitsotakis explained afterward that “I do not recognize a politician condemned 13-0 for dereliction of duty by the Special Court as a representative of the official opposition.” The annoyance among SYRIZA PS members escalated sharply, particularly with Mitsotakis’s statement that “we are dealing with a so-called opposition leader who is transitional. No one knows on whose behalf he speaks: Mr. Kasselakis, Mr. Famellos, Mr. Farandouris, Mr. Gletsos.” He later stated, “when the official opposition party finds its footing and leader, I will obviously be here again to conduct proper parliamentary political debate, and don’t be surprised, because this will be the tactic I follow until SYRIZA elects a permanent leader, both of the Parliamentary Group and the party, provided that these two roles coincide.”
