Popi Tsapanidou sworn in as SYRIZA’s state deputy

Former SYRIZA spokesperson Popi Tsapanidou was sworn in as state deputy of the main opposition party at the beginning of Friday’s session of the Plenary of the Parliament.

Tsapanidou was the first runner-up on the list of SYRIZA’s State parliament candidates replacing Othonas Iliopoulos, who resigned from his parliamentary position. Iliopoulos resigned from his position in early August, stating that he wished for his seat to be taken by the SYRIZA leader, Stefanos Kasselakis. However, Tsapanidou, who remains close to former prime minister Alexis Tsipras, was the first substitute to replace Iliopoulos. By taking the seat, she has effectively blocked Kasselakis from entering parliament.

In the same session, the letter expelling MP Athina Linou from the SYRIZA parliamentary group was read. Linou, becomes the 14th independent member of the parliament during the current parliamentary term. After the expulsion of Linou from SYRIZA’s group, the main opposition party has 34 MPs.