SYRIZA and sex
“Everything is about sex except sex. Sex is about power.” Oscar Wilde’s famous quote comes to mind when we think of Stefanos Kasselakis. Just a week after his latest steamy gym photos – taken in preparation for his wedding in Hania – he had to sacrifice his weekend to lead role-playing games in the party’s dungeon of absolution.
Kasselakis burst onto a fractured political scene, one that is typically hostile to handsome young men who aren’t shy about their looks. Yet, he made an impressive entrance, exceeding all expectations. Gossip about the habits and passions of public figures is rampant, but in a country used to hiding, his overwhelming honesty and the audacity of a restless narcissist left us stunned.
Around this time last year, Kasselakis turned Athens into San Francisco. Social circles buzzed with gossip about him, almost as if possessed. The macho establishment couldn’t stomach it. The idea that a political newcomer would introduce his husband to the entire country, even more directly than Andreas Papandreou introduced Dimitra Liani in 1988 with that famous nod as they descended from the plane, was unthinkable. A short time later, he swept the inner-party elections to succeed Alexis Tsipras.
At first, Kasselakis was a hot topic, but he may have been scorched by the flames he ignited. He forced a self-important society into a sauna of confessions. He stubbed out his cigarette on several crucial lies and left no sacred cows untouched. And it wasn’t just about his insatiable desire to expose his personal life (though not his professional background) under the harsh light of absolute transparency.
Kasselakis didn’t become leader solely through the support of tourists who wandered in by chance; he also gained backing from the SYRIZA base
The dazzling shipowner called out many figures, whether in matters of justice, the economy, the party, or power. Can we handle so many truths at once? Isn’t it easier to just agree that he’s crazy?
Most importantly, Kasselakis overdid it with the luxury pools and mansions, forgetting that shock value doesn’t last forever. He exhausted us. His fiery persona no longer dominates public conversation. People’s eyes have gotten used to him, and their ears have become numb.
Yet, we shouldn’t be quick to write him off. He didn’t become leader solely through the support of tourists who wandered in by chance; he also gained backing from the SYRIZA base, which seeks to eliminate the arrogant politicians who once served as ministers in the SYRIZA administration. Should he denounce an internal coup led by those who kowtowed to the establishment, he could win it all.
So, the drama within SYRIZA continues with its hunky leader at center stage – perhaps a character that, if Oscar Wilde were alive today, would inspire yet another play.
