SYRIZA: The trickle after Kasselakis’ social media post

The main opposition party SYRIZA’s president Stefanos Kasselakis uploaded a post on social media on Friday afternoon commenting on the recent mass exodus of MPs and party members. The post caused a series of reactions from the ex-members of SYRIZA.

Later on Friday, another three members of the party resigned: former justice minister Nikos Paraskevopoulos, journalist and former MP Giorgos Kiritis, and former director of the left newspaper “Avgi.”

In parliament, SYRIZA now counts 36 MPs, while those who departed from the party and sit as independents have risen to 11.

Kasselakis in his post claimed to have done everything in his power to maintain party unity. He described the resigned party members as “keen on division” and “unkeen on unity.”

“If Effie Achtsioglou had come before the elections and said to me ‘this chair is my faction’s dream, I either become president or I leave,’ I would have backed down,” he wrote. 

After departing from SYRIZA last month, Independent Member of the European Parliament, Stelios Kouloglou commented on the post on Friday saying “Kasselakis political level is that of a high school president.” 

The nine MPs who left SYRIZA on Thursday characterized Kasselakis’ post as “vulgar.”

In a leak of the group of independent parliamentarians, among whom is Effie Ahtsioglou, it is emphasized that the “vulgarity” of the recent post of the president of SYRIZA “confirms that we made the right choice to withdraw from the Kasselakis party”. 

“Once again he responds to political criticism with personal attacks,” it added.