The one who brought the light
Few were surprised by the ousting of Stefanos Kasselakis from the SYRIZA leadership – it was entirely predictable. A year ago, shortly after he was elected to the helm of the leftist opposition party, this column said (“Kasselakis’ rendezvous with politics,” 1.10.23) that while the new leader excelled in public relations stunts, he was politically naive and utterly ignorant of left-wing affairs.
“His communication skills and youthful, upbeat style may have briefly lifted the spirits of disheartened SYRIZA voters, still reeling from the party’s electoral defeat. But the party’s veteran members are never going to surrender it to a parachuted-in yuppie who had once admired [Kyriakos] Mitsotakis, was anointed as a leftist by [Alexis] Tsipras, and tried to prove his credentials with a whirlwind trip to Makronisos.”
It continued, “Mr Kasselakis is attempting to craft the image of a modern politician, with fresh ideas and a new perspective. However, this image is undermined both by the platitudes he repeats daily and by his inner circle, including Pavlos Polakis and Nikos Pappas – figures associated with toxicity and populism, ‘red flags’ for the center-left voters the party hopes to attract.”
“It won’t take long to discover if the new SYRIZA leader is merely a PR ‘bubble’ – a hyperactive, self-satisfied performer reciting lines written by others with dramatic flair – or a more serious figure capable of transforming the party.”
Today, even Kasselakis’ most fervent supporters can see that the American-imported, already-former SYRIZA leader with the bottomless lack of moderation and an inflated ego (“Today, light has won,” was his first statement on 24.9.23) – lacked any real plan or vision. He tried to mask his political inexperience with flashy stunts and right-bashing rhetoric. He wanted a party molded to his personal image and was prepared to expel anyone who opposed him. Ultimately, he failed.
As for the future of SYRIZA? It remains uncertain. The party rose to power by riding the populist wave of the anti-austerity movement but “deflated” when confronted with political reality. It will most likely return to its pre-bailout support levels of 3-4%.
