Sokratis Famellos

Although Kasselakis was removed, it is difficult to foresee a revival of SYRIZA in the near future. The crisis will deepen, and we will see many more episodes. There might be agreements on positions, political alliances, organizational structures, priorities, and programs.

What is happening in the political opposition at the moment is very bad. It is bad for everyone. SYRIZA turns out to have been an opportunistic formation based on the charisma of former leader (and premier) Alexis Tsipras and was the product of great and justified public anger. 

The dismissal of Stefanos Kasselakis from the position of SYRIZA president by an enhanced majority of the Central Committee (163 yes and 123 no and null/blank votes) leads the main opposition party into new internal elections within a year. At the same time, it brings Alexis Tsipras back to the forefront, who played a role in both the election of Kasselakis and his removal a year later.

Party leader Stefanos Kasselakis, facing heavy internal criticism for his proposed organizational changes to SYRIZA, remains determined to push the party into a new phase, even considering changing its name. These proposals have sparked strong reactions, even from long-time supporters, increasing Kasselakis’s sense of political isolation.

As main opposition SYRIZA heads to its congress this weekend, the most difficult one of recent years, there has been no letup in the tension between its leadership and the internal opposition.

The structural changes proposed by SYRIZA’s President, Stefanos Kasselakis, have triggered significant shifts within the party.

As tensions within SYRIZA escalate following recent events, including the expulsion of Pavlos Polakis, his direct challenge to Stefanos Kasselakis, the intense crisis triggered by the replacement of Socrates Famellos in the Parliamentary Group Presidium, and other developments post-European elections, senior party members propose that direct elections could alleviate internal strife.

Former state minister Nikos Pappas was elected as the new leader of SYRIZA's parliamentary group following a vote late Tuesday. A total of 17 MPs supported the proposal by SYRIZA leader Stefanos Kasselakis, while 12 voted against it, and four abstained.

Pappas succeeded Sokratis Famellos, who had earlier refused to step down and called for a vote on his replacement.

Trench warfare lasted until the early hours of today in SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance, as the six-hour meeting of the Parliamentary Group was not enough to defuse internal tensions but instead deepened the rift between the party leader,

Main opposition SYRIZA plunged into further turmoil as the proposal of party leader Stefanos Kasselakis for former state minister Nikos Pappas to take over as parliamentary group leader met the reaction of the incumbent Sokratis Famellos, who refused to step down and called for the issue of his replacement to be put to a vote.