The atmosphere in the largest opposition party SYRIZA remains explosive. Its leader Stefanos Kasselakis is trying to gauge the mood within the party by convening a parliamentary group on Tuesday.
Only twelve days before the decisive meeting of the Central Committee, the various camps are already busy weighing up their respective strengths.
Kasselakis’ camp insists that the majority is secure. However, members of the so-called “Group of 87” are convinced that, having grown their strength to over 110 members, with the support of Pavlos Polakis, they can reach the magic number of 151 needed to raise the question of leadership.
Polakis, who was expelled from the party’s parliamentary group in July, has openly challenged Kasselakis’ leadership and is supported by around 30 members.
The divisions within the party are reflected in a political text signed by 870 SYRIZA members, including 34 from the Central Committee. It states, among other things: “We can no longer stand idly by while certain leaders and groups within our party, in close collaboration with the party bureaucracy, systematically wear down both President Stefanos Kasselakis and the SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance project, for which we have waged a tremendous struggle since 2012.”
In any case, everything seems to be in flux, as there are dozens of “undetermined” votes.
The question remains what Kasselakis would do if Polakis, his influential former ally, challenges him and the majority in his favor is small or wins by only 10-20 votes. In this scenario, the inevitable question will be whether he can continue as president if more than half of the Central Committee members challenge him. The answers in this case may be given at the subsequent party conference, which will change not only the composition but also the institutions themselves.
