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A leadership election was held on 24 November 2024. The winner was Sokratis Famellos, an MP of Syriza and former leader of the parliamentary group. In second place, with a small gap to the winner, was the MP from Chania, Pavlos Polakis, who said that he did not want a second round.
These elections — the most tumultuous in Syriza's history — were marked by the decision of the party's supreme bodies to reject the possibility of former Syriza president Stefanos Kasselakis running, a decision that caused fierce disputes among the party's executives and grassroots members.
About 70,000 voters who were already registered members of the party voted (in the immediately preceding elections 147,000 people who could register on the same day had voted), a figure that SYRIZA officials described as a success under the circumstances.
Background
Previous leadership election
After Alexis Tsipras resigned as the President of Syriza, in June 2023 a leadership election was called.
On the first round of the elections, Stefanos Kasselakis and Effie Achtsioglou made it to the second round, with 44.9% and 36.2% of the votes respectively, Euclid Tsakalotos reached the third spot with 8.9%, Nikos Pappas followed with 8.7%, and finally Stefanos Tzoumakas got 1.3%.
On the second round, Kasselakis won over Achtsioglou, 56% to 44%.
Internal party crisis
After the election of Stefanos Kasselakis, the criticism and questioning of his political actions by party members and MPs intensified. Soon, the internal opposition groups "Umbrella" and "6+6" left the party, founding, some time later, New Left.
In February 2024, the 4th Congress of the party was held. Stefanos Kasselakis announced extraordinary internal party elections for the election of the president, with Olga Gerovassili announcing her candidacy. In the end, the elections did not take place and tensions were averted in view of the upcoming European elections.
In the European elections, Syriza maintained second place, but with a lower percentage (14.92%) and elected four MEPs. This, combined with sudden replacements of party individuals, changes to the party structure and the suspension of the daily edition of I Avgi, exacerbated the discontent within the party.
The questioning of Stefanos Kasselakis culminated in the meeting of the Central Committee of Syriza, on 7 September, during which 100 members submitted a motion of no confidence against the party president, which was adopted by 163 votes to 120, removing the president, Stefanos Kasselakis, and triggering a leadership election.
On 11 September, the date of the election was effectively decided in a meeting of the political bureau of the party, with the final decision pending upon the meeting of the central committee. Before the elections, on 1-3 November, an extraordinary congress will take place, where all the candidacies will be presented. On 12 October, the Central Committee of the party decided that Kasselakis cannot be candidate. On 8 November, after the new rejection of his candidacy by party's conference, Kasselakis left Syriza and announced the foundation of a new party. A day later, the party's Extraordinary Congress voted to confirm the candidacies of Polakis, Famellos, Farantouris and Gletsos.
Candidates
The following candidatures were confirmed by the Central Committee and the party's Extraordinary Congress:
| Candidate | Political Experience | Announcement | Refs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pavlos Polakis (59 years old) |
|
MP for Chania (2015–present) Other positions: List
Endorsementsː List
|
7 September 2024 | ||
| Sokratis Famellos (58 years old) |
.jpg)
|
MP for Thessaloniki B (2015–present) Other positions: List
Endorsementsː |
26 September 2024 | ||
| Nikolas Farantouris (48 years old) |
|
Member of the European Parliament (July 2024) Other positions: List
Endorsements: |
1 October 2024 | ||
| Apostolos Gkletsos [el] (57 years old) |
Former mayor of Stylida (2011–2019) Other positions: List
Endorsementsː |
5 October 2024 | |||
Rejected candidates
| Candidate | Political Experience | Announcement | Refs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stefanos Kasselakis (36 years old) |
.jpg)
|
Former President of Syriza (September 2023 – September 2024) Other positions: List
Endorsements: List
|
3 October 2024 | ||
Note
- Kasselakis insists he remains SYRIZA president
References
- Paul Polakis: "No need for a second round" - "I will be present the next day" (in Greek)
- SYRIZA: Conflict of extreme polarization without political disputes (in Greek)
- The conflict in SYRIZA reaches extremes with an exchange of heavy accusations - Polakis to the 87 for Kasselakis: "You have made him a wounded prince" (in Greek)
- SYRIZA elections/ Last year 147.000, this year 70.000 - Can a comparison be made - What do the numbers show? (in Greek)
- "Greek opposition leader Tsipras resigns as Syriza chief after election defeat". Politico. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- "Twitter Greece Elects: SYRIZA-PS Leadership Election Final Results". Twitter Greece Elects. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- "Εκλογές Συριζα: Τα τελικά αποτελέσματα της κάλπης". 25 September 2023.
- "ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Ευθεία αμφισβήτηση της "Ομπρέλας" προς τον Κασσελάκη". ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ (in Greek). 18 October 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- "Επισήμως αποχωρεί από τον ΣΥΡΙΖΑ η "Ομπρέλα" αφήνοντας ανοιχτό το ενδεχόμενο για νέο κόμμα". in.gr (in Greek). 12 November 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- "Εκτός ΣΥΡΙΖΑ οι "6+6" της Εφης Αχτσιόγλου – Το κείμενο αποχώρησης". Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
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- Συμεωνίδης, Γιάννης (22 February 2024). "ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Τάχιστα οι τετραπλές εκλογές για την επανεκλογή προέδρου που ανακοίνωσε ο Κασσελάκης". CNN.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- "Υποψήφια πρόεδρος του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ η Ολγα Γεροβασίλη". Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ (in Greek). 24 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- "Συνέδριο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Οι εκλογές που δεν ήθελε ο Κασσελακης και η "ψηφοφορία" αλαλούμ". in.gr (in Greek). 25 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- "Κορυφώνεται η "αποτσιπροποίηση" του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Η απόλυση Τσίπρα, οι αργομισθίες και τα καρφιά". ProtoThema (in Greek). 20 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ΛΙΒΙΤΣΑΝΟΣ, ΓΕΡΑΣΙΜΟΣ (25 June 2024). "Κόμμα χωρίς όργανα και... αντιρρήσεις σχεδιάζει ο Κασσελάκης". News 24/7 (in Greek). Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- "Συλλογή υπογραφών στον ΣΥΡΙΖΑ για τα κομματικά όργανα: Εντείνεται η πίεση στον Κασσελάκη". ProtoThema (in Greek). 26 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- Λέννας, Θοδωρής (26 June 2024). "Βαθαίνει το (νέο) ρήγμα στον ΣΥΡΙΖΑ". Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ (in Greek). Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- "ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Κατατέθηκε η πρόταση μομφής κατά Κασσελάκη με 100 υπογραφές - Θέμα ηγεσίας και από Πολάκη". CNN.gr (in Greek). 7 September 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- "ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Πέρασε η πρόταση μομφής κατά Κασσελάκη με 163 ναι, 120 όχι και 3 άκυρα-λευκά". ProtoThema (in Greek). 8 September 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- "Σε εκλογική τροχιά πάλι ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Ο οδικός χάρτης έως την εκλογή προέδρου την 1η Δεκεμβρίου". Ieidiseis (in Greek). 11 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- "Kasselakis barred from SYRIZA leadership contest | eKathimerini.com". www.ekathimerini.com. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- "Kasselakis leaves SYRIZA; new party in the works | eKathimerini.com". www.ekathimerini.com. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- "Συνέδριο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Εγκρίθηκαν οι υποψηφιότητες - Επίθεση σε Κασσελάκη - «Ουδείς θα υπονομεύσει τη θέση της αξιωματικής αντιπολίτευσης» | Cretalive ειδήσεις". www.cretalive.gr (in Greek). 9 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ Γεωργία Σαδανά (26 September 2024). "ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Άνοιξε επισήμως την κούρσα ο Πολάκης - Ποιοι υπέγραψαν την υποψηφιότητά του" [SYRIZA: Polakis officially opened the race - Who signed his candidacy]. protothema.gr. /
- "Πολάκης: Καταθέτω υποψηφιότητα για πρόεδρος του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ | LiFO". www.lifo.gr (in Greek). 7 September 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- "Socratis Famellos joins SYRIZA's leadership race". ekathimerini.gr. 26 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- "Επίσημα υποψήφιος ο Νικόλας Φαραντούρης" [Nicolas Farantouris is officially a candidate]. slpress.gr. 1 October 2024.
- Apostolos Gletsos: Candidate and official candidate for the presidency of SYRIZA (el)
- Με Γκλέτσο ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ-ΠΣ στην Περιφέρεια Στερεάς
- Kasselakis insists he remains SYRIZA president, fires shots at Tsipras
- St. Kasselakis: He announced his candidacy for the leadership of SYRIZA
- Kasselakis out of the election race - The EL rejected his candidacy - He gives himself an appointment to the congress (el)