2024 Syriza leadership election
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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.[1]
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.[2][3]
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.[4]
Background
[edit]Previous leadership election
[edit]After Alexis Tsipras resigned as the President of Syriza, in June 2023[5] 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%.[6]
On the second round, Kasselakis won over Achtsioglou, 56% to 44%.[7]
Internal party crisis
[edit]After the election of Stefanos Kasselakis, the criticism and questioning of his political actions by party members and MPs intensified.[8] Soon, the internal opposition groups "Umbrella" and "6+6" left the party,[9][10] founding, some time later, New Left.[11]
In February 2024, the 4th Congress of the party was held. Stefanos Kasselakis announced extraordinary internal party elections for the election of the president,[12] with Olga Gerovassili announcing her candidacy.[13] In the end, the elections did not take place and tensions were averted in view of the upcoming European elections.[14]
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,[15] changes to the party structure [16] and the suspension of the daily edition of I Avgi, exacerbated the discontent within the party.[17][18]
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,[19] which was adopted by 163 votes to 120,[20] 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.[21] On 12 October, the Central Committee of the party decided that Kasselakis cannot be candidate.[22] 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.[23] A day later, the party's Extraordinary Congress voted to confirm the candidacies of Polakis, Famellos, Farantouris and Gletsos.[24]
Candidates
[edit]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 | [26] | ||
| Sokratis Famellos (58 years old) |
MP for Thessaloniki B (2015–present) Other positions: List
Endorsementsː |
26 September 2024 | [27] | ||
| Nikolas Farantouris (48 years old) |
Member of the European Parliament (July 2024) Other positions: List
Endorsements: |
1 October 2024 | [28] | ||
| Apostolos Gkletsos (57 years old) |
Former mayor of Stylida (2011–2019) Other positions: List
Endorsementsː |
5 October 2024 | [29] [30] | ||
Rejected candidates
| Candidate | Political Experience | Announcement | Refs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stefanos Kasselakis (36 years old) |
Former President of Syriza[a] (September 2023 – September 2024) Other positions: List
Endorsements: List
|
3 October 2024 | [32][33] | ||
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Note
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ 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.
- ^ "Και το όνομα αυτού "Νέα Αριστερά" - Κοιτάζει στις ευρωεκλογές". in.gr (in Greek). 4 December 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c 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)