Another MP quits SYRIZA, leaving main opposition with 35 seats

Main opposition SYRIZA has found itself with 35 seats in Greece’s 300-seat Parliament after Magnisia MP Katerina Papanatsiou stepped down over disagreements with the party’s new leadership.

Decrying SYRIZA’s “gradual mutation” since Stefanos Kasselakis was elected to head the party, Papanatsiou on Monday became the 12th MP to defect after the departure of several prominent lawmakers in the wake of September’s leadership race.

“In SYRIZA, we had learned to discuss disagreements, knowing that different opinions are welcome,” Papanatsiou said in a statement announcing her resignation on Monday, accusing Kasselakis of using “unusual methods to deal with every disagreement within the party.”

Papanatsiou, who was elected to Parliament with SYRIZA in 2015 and served as deputy finance minister in 2016-2019, went on to describe Kasselakis as an “apprentice wizard” who “constantly changes stance on fundamental issues,” adding that he does not “respect” the party’s institutional decision-making procedures. 

This latest defection further erodes SYRIZA’s position as the country’s second-largest party by increasing the distance from incumbent New Democracy, which has a clear majority with 158 seats, while reducing it with third-placed PASOK, which holds 31 seats.