Politics under market terms
From a business perspective, Stefanos Kasselakis, a self-proclaimed successful entrepreneur, made a smart first move in expressing his interest in leading SYRIZA. The party’s standing has dwindled following its heavy defeats in Greece’s double national elections earlier this year. Nonetheless, the party still commands a substantial presence in the Greek political arena. It is the official opposition, even if weakened, with the possibilities this entails, while socialist PASOK, which sought to present itself as a formidable challenger, appears to be falling short, at least for the time being.
Viewed through this perspective, Kasselakis recognized a chance to step onto the Greek political stage and adeptly seized it. The alternative would have entailed constructing something new, a considerably more arduous undertaking. The process of selecting a new leadership for SYRIZA presents a golden opportunity for gaining easy and certain publicity. By presenting his ideological platform as an alternative proposition within the context of SYRIZA, Kasselakis can garner more attention than if he were to unveil his political proposal during a politically neutral period detached from any ongoing political processes.
His candidacy has disrupted the largely stagnant process of selecting a new leader from within SYRIZA. Other contenders and party officials characterize his entry into the succession race as both unfair and unorthodox. They are nearly taken aback by his complete deviation from party mechanisms and norms, yet he suddenly finds himself in an advantageous position to vie for the party leadership. It’s worth recalling that a recurring criticism of Alexis Tsipras, the former prime minister and party leader, was his inability or unwillingness to break through the confines of the party apparatus and infuse fresh vitality into the party. Could an entirely external figure accomplish this feat?
The eventual outcome remains to be seen and will unfold in due course. Is Kasselakis capable of orchestrating a complete turnaround and emerging victorious? The challenge is formidable, but it would be unwise to dismiss the possibility. Should he succeed, what implications will this hold for SYRIZA? What would it signify about the party’s identity, ethos, structure and personnel? If he falls short, the visibility he has garnered could be harnessed in a new endeavor. For now, he naturally rules out such an eventuality.
As far as his political proposal is concerned, it does have certain gaps, weaknesses, and possibly even logical leaps. Acknowledging this, he seeks to pre-empt any criticism by admitting that he doesn’t possess all the answers and intends to proceed by listening and learning. Meanwhile, his proposals, such as the abolition of compulsory military service (can this country truly sustain a professional army?) or the separation of Church and state – a longstanding position of SYRIZA that has now been indefinitely postponed – are regarded condescendingly by party colleagues who hold governmental experience.
