SYRIZA: The gap between the camps is widening–“87” towards the Congress,“Kasselistas” towards PASOK and Rome

The unbridgeable gap that has turned the “87” of the Syriza Progressive Alliance into foreign bodies within the Syriza Progressive Alliance into the “87” of the “Tsipras Guard” and the “Kasselistas” under the former party chairman, Stefanos Kasselakis underlined in the most emphatic way the festive three days despite the short break, starting from Thessaloniki.

Rather formally, if not awkwardly, Stefanos Kasselakis and Socrates Famellos were greeted at the official praise service for the feast of the patron saint, St. Demetrios, while the mood was more than “companionable” yesterday among the top members of the opposition, when at the same table the chairman of the parliamentary group, Nikos Pappas, the two presidential candidates of SYRIZA, Socrates Famellos and Nikolas Farantouris, as well as the local MPs of Thessaloniki, Katerina Notopoulou and Christos Giannoulis, sending a message of unity after the military parade.

“Βeggar” for a constituency

Moving in parallel, the “Kasselistas” were also present at the festivities in the capital city, as in addition to the former president of SYRIZA, Stefanos Kasselakis, who was in Thessaloniki on the day of the feast of St. Demetrios, was consistently present in the festive program the MP and close associate of Mr. Kasselakis, Petros Pappas, although he was elected in the prefecture of Kilkis. The uninterrupted presence of Mr. Pappas in…his neighboring Kilkis constituency resulted in the “explosion” of the MP for Thessaloniki, Christos Giannoulis who commented in a post on X that “something irrelevant, first time he appeared like a “beggar” for a constituency because he is terrified at the idea of remaining in the one he has been elected. It is in the category of anti-circular and I WILL NOT PREVENT YOU…”, “photographing” implicitly but clearly Petros Pappas who reportedly wishes to run as a candidate in the first district of Thessaloniki.

Indeed, a strong impression in Syriza circles was caused by the fact that Petros Pappas greeted, in the context of the celebrations, the president of PASOK, Nikos Androulakis, a moment that he did not hide in his social media accounts. At a time when, according to reliable information, the idea of him sitting in the first electoral district of Thessaloniki in the next national elections with the PASOK ballot paper is reportedly not leaving the current MP for Kilkis of SYRIZA unmoved.

Losses before correlation

And if the personal agony of electoral survival is more pronounced among the “Kasselistas” SYRIZA deputies elected in small prefectures, the business of their individual “rescue”, however, does not seem unconnected with the fact that the “final round” of the internal conflict in the opposition party is not far off, as the winner of the internal elections is estimated to be revealed in the elections of the Synods, which will take place on the weekend of 2-3 November.

Already from tomorrow, when the party’s Political Secretariat meets, the rhythm will be purely congressional, and in an initial assessment, both at the level of the Attica basin and on a nationwide scale, the majority side (i.e. the “87” group and their internal party allies) seems to estimate that it will form a 65-35 correlation, which is considered that it can conditionally increase to 70-30, achieving a “comfortable result”, based on their initial calculations. Although the surrounding – warlike – atmosphere has caused second thoughts among some executives regarding any possible postponement of the Syngress to the… future, however, the view that “this decline must end and the party’s reconstruction phase must follow immediately afterwards” is winning the most points within the majority.

Supervised by the “Kasselistas”

An invitation to the party members to participate in the internal party processes was also made by Stefanos Kasselakis during his tour in Northern Greece in recent days, who is reportedly very satisfied with the climate he encountered in society.”Big deal” he decided, moreover, when challenged by a citizen to answer whether he would manage to impose the new order of Koumoundourou, while in his speeches in Thessaloniki, Drama, Kavala, Serres, Alexandroupolis and Xanthi he had the opportunity to discuss in person with dozens of party members.

He had the opportunity to meet with dozens of speakers in person and in person at the meeting with several of his colleagues in Greece.

For the Kasselakis side, the major issue is the clarification of the internal party procedures in the future, i.e. to clarify all organizational details regarding the time, the form, the sponsor and the duration of the congress, with the former President’s associates insisting on a “normal congress”, i.e. with an expanded agenda of issues.

At the same time, with supervisors in all Members’ Organizations of SYRIZA, the Kasselakis side will be present at the congress elections this weekend, reportedly showing zero tolerance in case of stalling in the publication of the results.

On the contrary, Kasselakis’ staff estimates that they will be able to extract a clear picture early next Sunday evening as to the correlation that will be formed by receiving messages from the Prefectural Organizations and considering that all the conditions exist to dominate.

Both for the new majority and for the “Kasselistas”, however, the avoidance of new tensions on the road to the polls on Sunday is considered a crucial variable, with the statements of Stefanos Kasselakis’ close associate and member of the SYRIZA Central Committee, Thanasis Economou on SKAI TV station causing sharp reactions yesterday among party cadres, as well as on social networks.

Referring to the atmosphere received in the local tours of Stefanos Kasselakis, Thanasis Economou said that “it was a river of people who met him (Stefanos Kasselakis). Now we are not talking about a march to the people, we are talking about a march to Rome”. On the days of the national anniversary of “No”, however, many of the top Syriza leaders were quick to point out meaningfully in their private conversations that the “march to Rome” was historically called the march that Benito Mussolini’s blackshirts made on October 28, 1922, towards Rome with the ultimate goal of seizing power, eventually overthrowing the democratic constitution and imposing a dictatorship in neighbouring Italy.