Skourletis quits SYRIZA, alleges orchestrated plan to break up leftist party

Former SYRIZA secretary Panos Skourletis has become the latest high-ranking official to depart from the main opposition party. 

In a statement released on Friday, he outlined the party’s mistakes since 2019, which he said led to the heavy defeats in this year’s elections, while slamming newly-elected leader Stefanos Kasselakis for distancing SYRIZA from its left-wing roots.

“SYRIZA was unable to leverage the significant events and crises throughout the entire preceding period, which could have highlighted the prominence of leftist views over neoliberal impasses,” Skourletis said.

“The choices made… ultimately brought us to a point where New Democracy played without an opponent, making SYRIZA synonymous with unreliability in the minds of citizens,” he said.

Skourletis also accused the new SYRIZA leader of spearheading an orchestrated effort to break up the party.

“The forces currently dominant within SYRIZA are implementing a plan of division and rupture led by Stefanos Kasselakis, a newcomer with no connection to the Left or politics,” he said. 

“It is evident that this is a plan to sever the party from its left-wing roots, ultimately leading to the end of the presence in Greece of the renewing and radical Left after more than half a century,” he said.

Another SYRIZA heavyweight, Nikos Voutsis, was expected to announce his departure from the party later in the day.