Ex-SYRIZA minister attacks ‘inadequate,’ ‘divisive’ Kasselakis

Yannis Mouzalas, a member of SYRIZA’s central committee and former migration minister, has criticized Stefanos Kasselakis, the party leader, of dividing and altering the ideological identity of the main opposition party.

In an interview with Attica TV late Monday, Mouzalas suggested that the party’s stubbornly lackluster performance indicates the need for significant changes.

“In my view, these changes should include a leadership change,” he said, noting that the upcoming party conference should address the question of a new leader.

In the same interview, the 68-year-old criticized Kasselakis as a divisive leader, also pointing at his reaction to the recent departure of Yannis Dragasakis, a former deputy prime minister in the left-led government from 2015 to 2019.

“I believe that Mr Kasselakis – whom we supported with the best intentions – has proven to be inadequate and divisive. He does not make an effort to unite. A president should not be pleased when people leave their party. A president should work to retain and attract members, not rejoice when someone like Dragasakis departs,” he said, also accusing the new leader of attempting to “transform a progressive left-wing party into a party that is centered around himself.”

“I remained silent for many months, having supported Mr Kasselakis and given him the opportunity to prove himself. I now believe that Mr Kasselakis was the wrong answer to the right question,” he added, alleging that the new leadership is engaging in a “strategic undermining of SYRIZA and [ex-PM] Alexis Tsipras.”