Linou expelled from SYRIZA’s parliamentary group

Athina Linou was expelled from SYRIZA’s parliamentary group on Wednesday following a decision by the party’s president, Stefanos Kasselakis.

Linou, the head of Prolepsis Institute – an NGO specializing in preventive medicine and public health – had been accused by Pavlos Polakis, a former alternate health minister under the SYRIZA administration, of violating transparency rules.

In response, Linou took legal action against Polakis, accusing him of spreading “lies to serve his political ambitions.” She also provided 459 pages of the NGO’s financial data to Kasselakis’ political bureau, stating that she “welcomed any inspection.” However, her explanation was deemed insufficient by the party leadership.

In July, Polakis was expelled from SYRIZA’s parliamentary group following a verbal attack on an aide to conservative Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis. His allegedly sexist remarks drew criticism from several MPs, including Linou, who condemned his behavior as unacceptable.

While Polakis became an independent MP, he controversially remained a member of SYRIZA’s political secretariat.

Linou’s expulsion occurred a day after former state minister Nikos Pappas was elected as the new leader of the party’s parliamentary group, succeeding Sokratis Famellos.

These recent developments are viewed as part of an ongoing power struggle within SYRIZA, which has failed to turn things around since Kasselakis took over leadership following the departure of former prime minister Alexis Tsipras.

Meanwhile, the true nature of the relationship between Kasselakis and Polakis, who is widely seen as a key figure behind the rise of the new leader, remains unclear. Reports over the weekend had suggested that Polakis might be planning to challenge his former protégé for the party leadership.