The vote, with 138 out of 152 central committee members present opposing Kasselakis’ candidacy, exposed deep divisions within the party. Kasselakis’ supporters, who view the move as a “coup,” boycotted the meeting in Athens, hoping to prevent a quorum. Only MP Theodora Tzakiri attended from their camp, voicing strong opposition to the decision.
Kasselakis himself was absent, as was leadership hopeful Pavlos Polakis, who, despite his own criticisms of Kasselakis, opposed excluding him from the race.
Despite the setback, Kasselakis remains defiant, vowing to confront his opponents at next month’s party congress. He maintains his position as the rightful leader of SYRIZA, both “de facto and de jure.”
Tensions have escalated within the party in recent weeks, culminating in Kasselakis filing a lawsuit against SYRIZA after his financial disclosures were published in a party-aligned newspaper. He later withdrew the suit after all candidates’ financial records were made public.
While Kasselakis’ chances of winning, if allowed to run, remain unclear, he enjoys strong support among party members. The final list of leadership candidates will be announced on October 24th, with the first round of voting scheduled for November 24th. A potential runoff election is set for December 1st.