SYRIZA MP and former minister announces he will not stand for elections

Giorgos Katrougalos, an MP for SYRIZA and a former foreign minister of the party, on Thursday announced his intent to withdraw from the upcoming elections after stating that social contributions for the self-employed may go up in a future SYRIZA government, something the party denied.

"I fully assume the political responsibility for my statement yesterday and I announce that I am withdrawing from the election", he announced on social media, adding that "I made it clear this morning that I was speaking on personal grounds and not on behalf of SYRIZA's electoral mandate."