A victory fraught with challenges

For leftist SYRIZA, the real challenge now lies ahead. We don't mean the likelihood of more MPs defecting from its parliamentary group or the fact that the ill-mannered Pavlos Polakis came second in Sunday's party leadership race with a stunning 43% that established him as the de facto voice of the opposition within the party.

The challenges that lie ahead go a long way back. What's left of SYRIZA will have to confront the past of a party that had its moment in the sun - in whichever way that was - and the fundamental questions that challenge the left globally. Who are they? Where are they headed? What is their message? How do they address the core contradictions that led the movement to disrepute and the party to such fragmentation?

Political parties need to develop deep roots in society instead of tapping into its most base and fickle instincts

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