SYRIZA: “Popular front” present, Polakis absent during budget vote

The debate on the budget in the House of Representatives turned out to be a foretaste of the new political period ushered in by the advent of 2025, with the Syriza Progressive Alliance emerging unscathed from the vote, but from the benches of what is now the third parliamentary power in the plenary chamber.

In the presence of former prime minister and party chairman,Alexis Tsipras, but absent for the second time – after the parliamentary group meeting, Chania MP and Transparency Sector Minister, Pavlos Polakis, the new party chairman,Socrates Famellos, snipped at the government, defended SYRIZA’s role as the authentic opposition despite the fresh parliamentary upheavals and officially opened a window of dialogue with the progressive forces and in the near future.

At the same time, he praised PASOK for the conciliatory tones of its president, Nikos Androulakis m with the prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, while focusing on the legacy of the SYRIZA government and Alexis Tsipras (whom he mentioned twice) in the country’s foreign policy. “We are not giving away your patriotism,” Famellos said to the ministerial benches, while “the positive vote for SYRIZA is about supporting national security and defence. But not all of the government’s choices on this issue,” he clarified as regards the vote in favour of defence spending.

Famellos – Polakis communication

SYRIZA’s positive vote towards the defence spending budget almost came close, however, to creating serious friction within the party’s Parliamentary Group, as it divided MPs.

Reportedly, the Chania MP, Pavlos Polakis, who was reportedly absent from the plenary session yesterday, was also inclined to vote against them. This is the second absence in a row of Mr Polakis from an internal party procedure in the Parliament, although Mr Polakis and Mr Famellos reportedly communicated the day before yesterday, Saturday, when SYRIZA’s official position on armaments was crystallised.

Although the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rena Dourou, rushed to explain to Thanos Plevris about Pavlos Polakis that his absence yesterday was due to his professional obligations, i.e. afternoon surgeries of his patients, there was nevertheless a lot of reaction from within SYRIZA. The reactions were further intensified by what Mr Polakis shared with his followers on social networks, a few moments after Socrates Famellos stepped down from the plenary floor, saying that “EVERYTHING WILL BE PROVEN in time… That’s why some people are PRAYING to be removed …. NOW!!”

It was addressed primarily, that is, to voters and deputies of SYRIZA who were removed from the “matrix of Koumoundourou” in recent times, indirectly creating a corridor for their return from the Movement for Democracy, the party of Stefanos Kasselakis. Pavlos Polakis himself has reportedly chosen to keep a discreet distance for himself from the opposition benches, as well as from the new leadership of SYRIZA, as was evident at the recent meeting of the party’s Central Committee.

“There will be a discussion”

At the same time, however, the party’s press spokesman, New Left, appeared encouraging regarding the return of New Left to dialogue with SYRIZA in recent days, Giorgos Karameros, stressing that “we call on the New Left deputies to create a strong alliance to join forces to be tougher and more efficient. I hope this will happen because the reasons are gone now… we must reposition ourselves to reflect the popular mandate to SYRIZA that has existed since the summer of 2023,” Karameros described, to clarify that “it is respected that they have created a new party, the New Left, but there will be a discussion.”

In this light, the new president of SYRIZA remarked that “the response of the progressive opposition must aim at the substance of the budget”, adding that “clearly we should also explore the possibility of a debate among the progressive parties. And I would say and immediately should be that. Because society does not get along, it wants a proposal from the opposition and is not interested in party egos. And the progressive sector must answer,” he added.

However, “the choice of PASOK and SYRIZA to approve the opaque overarms of the Mitsotakis government reveals the limits of their policy. They do not want a clash with the arrogant right. They are investing in a consensus that allows them to dominate without opposition,” said the head of the New Left, Alexis Haritsis, after the vote on the budget, concluding that “the New Left does not consent to the policy of destruction. It calls on the living forces of Greek society to disobey. For a militant opposition that will put a brake on the Right and open the way for a new course for the country with the Left in the front line.”

It should be noted that after the initiative for a possible joint candidacy of the progressive forces in the person of the president of ADAE, Christos Rammou, by the New Left, the field of “superarms” was the second step of a roadmap of consensus, which is expected to culminate with the New Year and this time with actions in the field of taxation.

Warm embrace between Tsipras and Linou

Meanwhile, SYRIZA MPs enthusiastically welcomed former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who had a warm embrace with former SYRIZA MP Athina Linou, “inflaming” the scenarios of her “repatriation” to SYRIZA.

However, confusion prevailed in the next few minutes of the vote regarding defense spending. Especially when the House services had credited Mr. Tsipras for voting against the arms, while the former Prime Minister “voted against the budget. He voted against the expenses for the Presidency of the Republic and the defence expenses” as sources close to him commented, to conclude that “today the relevant contact will be made with the relevant services of the House of Representatives to see why an error was registered and the relevant correction will be made.”

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