SYRIZA political drama in the spotlight
Developments within the main opposition SYRIZA party will be in the spotlight this week after its leader, Stefanos Kasselakis, lost a no-confidence vote over the weekend.
The tensions within the party’s central committee were intense, further deepening the turmoil that has plagued SYRIZA since its resounding electoral defeat last year.
Kasselakis, who emerged out of nowhere to take over the party, had no prior connection or ideological affiliation with it. This marks the first time in Greece’s parliamentary history that a party leader has been ousted less than a year after being elected.
Meanwhile, the socialist PASOK party is gearing up for leadership elections in early October, adding to the intrigue surrounding the center-left political landscape.
SYRIZA
The party’s political secretariat is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to outline the roadmap for a new leadership race. Following that, SYRIZA’s central committee is expected to convene to organize an extraordinary party congress where candidates will present themselves. The congress will elect new delegates and set the stage for party elections.
These elections are expected to take place sometime between late October and early January. The number of candidates remains uncertain. So far, outspoken MP Pavlos Polakis has announced his candidacy, and MEP Nikos Farantouris has expressed interest. Former mayor of Stylida and soap opera actor Apostolos Gletsos has also declared his intention to run.
In the coming days, Kasselakis will need to collect his personal belongings from the party headquarters at Koumoundourou Square. It remains unclear whether he will run again, but his position has weakened considerably after the weekend’s events. If he had called for elections himself before the no-confidence motion, he might have retained a stronger position as party leader.
Thessaloniki International Fair
The leaders of the opposition parties will, as usual, attend the Thessaloniki International Fair for their major annual press conferences, following the prime minister’s appearance over the weekend.
PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis will hold a press conference on Thursday, New Left leader Alexis Haritsis on Friday, while the main opposition SYRIZA party will be represented over the weekend by parliamentary group leader Nikos Pappas.
EuroAsia Interconnector
The decision time for the EuroAsia Interconnector project is approaching. Cypriot and Greek ministers will meet in Nicosia on Tuesday for another round of talks on the project’s future, with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides participating.
