Syriza is at risk of losing its role as Greece’s main opposition after the ousting of its leader, Stefanos Kasselakis, and his decision to launch a new political movement.
On Monday, at least five Syriza deputies are expected to inform parliament of their departure, reducing the party’s parliamentary presence to 30 lawmakers—one less than the center-left PASOK party.
“Syriza is about to lose its status as the main opposition,” noted Stelios Kouloglou, a former Syriza MEP. “Stefanos Kasselakis, the man who many saw as the messiah, will be remembered as the gravedigger who ultimately buried the [party’s] corpse that died under his watch.”
Between 2015 and 2019, Syriza held 35 seats as the primary opposition in the 300-member parliament. With Syriza’s decline, PASOK, which had faced a steep fall after being blamed for Greece’s prolonged economic crisis, will now assume the main opposition role under re-elected leader Nikos Androulakis, opposing Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ center-right government.
Kasselakis’ ouster was followed by his decision on Saturday to formally split from Syriza and establish “a movement of democracy, free citizens, and progress.” Kasselakis, Greece’s first openly gay party leader, spent his youth in the US and entered Syriza’s leadership after its defeat in double elections last year, succeeding former prime minister Alexis Tsipras.
During a contentious party congress on Friday, Kasselakis was barred from re-running for leadership, a decision his supporters condemned as undemocratic. The leadership race is scheduled for November 24, with a possible second round on December 1.
By Sunday, Kasselakis’s supporters felt confident that as many as eight additional MPs would leave Syriza, adding to the four who announced their departure on Friday. Kasselakis requires 10 parliamentary seats to establish his new political group.
On Monday, Syriza announced plans to request an investigation into Kasselakis’s wealth declaration, which had sparked controversy, including questions about his assets and any involvement in offshore companies.
Source: The Guardian.
