SYRIZA: Kasselakis hints to form a new political party

“It is a shame what is happening in SYRIZA with the delegates. SYRIZA does not exist as we knew it,” said Stefanos Kasselakis speaking on Friday morning to MEGA television hosts.

Just a few hours before the start of the congress of Greece’s main opposition party SYRIZA, its deposed president hinted that he was about to form a new political party if he would not be allowed to be a delegate.

“It is a shame what is happening in SYRIZA with the delegates. SYRIZA does not exist as we knew it,” said Stefanos Kasselakis speaking on Friday morning to MEGA television hosts.

Kasselakis described SYRIZA as an “anti-democratic party” and said that he would leave the party if he was excluded from the congress.

He even referred to the creation of a new party. “Obviously I will not remain in an anti-democratic party, I’m getting suggestions to form my own party,” he said.

Friday afternoon, he called on his supporters to gather peacefully outside the hall where the 3-day congress takes place.

Επειδή οι στιγμές είναι κρίσιμες:

-Καλώ όλες και όλους τους εκλεγμένους μας συνέδρους να είναι έξω από τον χώρο του συνεδρίου. Η Δημοκρατία θα πει ειρηνικά #Είμαι_εδώ.

-Κάνω έκκληση σε όλες και όλους εσάς που έρχεστε από όλες τις γωνιές της Ελλάδας και ταξιδέψατε χιλιόμετρα.…

— Stefanos Kasselakis – Στέφανος Κασσελάκης (@skasselakis) November 8, 2024

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Kasselakis was ousted as SYRIZA party president after a vote of no confidence in September and only after one year holding this post. Kasselakis expressed intent to run again, but his candidacy was barred amid infighting in early October. Kasselakis has since responded defiantly, urging supporters to remain in the party and push for change in this weekend’s party congress. He even created a webside to collect a list of supporters and leased an office,

Until recently, Kasselakis was denying allegations that he would form his own political party.

But the rift between the deposed president and the majority of the party organs and high-ranking historic officials is much too grave and there seems to be no space for a solution that SYRIZA remains together.

Of course, for Stefanos Kasselakis the way out is not easy as he would need the support of at least 10 party MPs to follow him so that the new party can form a parliamentary group with its leader outside the parliament as he was not elected in the last parliamentary elections.

PS If he doesn’t want them and they don’t want him, what’s the point on insisting to candidate as a new president?