Stefanos Kasselakis, the embattled former leader of Greece’s left-wing SYRIZA party, has been barred from running for his own succession. In a decisive vote on Saturday, the party’s central committee rejected Kasselakis’ candidacy, with 138 out of 152 members opposing his bid.
The central committee, which consists of 293 members, saw many of Kasselakis’ supporters boycott the meeting in an attempt to prevent a quorum. Despite their absence, the meeting proceeded at an Athens hotel. Only MP Theodora Tzakiri attended to voice opposition to what she termed a “coup” against the former leader.
Kasselakis did not attend the session, nor did Pavlos Polakis, a leadership contender who had publicly broken with Kasselakis but still opposed his exclusion from the leadership contest.
In response to the vote, Kasselakis vowed to confront his critics at next month’s extraordinary party congress. “I will not back down. This is a fight for democracy within the party,” he said in a brief statement.
Tensions within SYRIZA have been simmering for weeks ahead of the leadership contest. Pro- and anti-Kasselakis factions have exchanged increasingly heated rhetoric, with Kasselakis sending a legal notice to his own party over the publication of his income sources in the Efimerida ton Syntakton, a newspaper friendly to SYRIZA. Although all candidates’ financial statements were eventually published, Kasselakis withdrew the subpoena, having initially claimed—incorrectly—that it had forced the release.
Outside the meeting, Kasselakis supporters gathered, shouting insults at party officials and denouncing the decision to block their preferred candidate.
Kasselakis, who was ousted in September just before marking his first year as party leader, maintains that he is still the “de facto and de jure” leader of SYRIZA. His popularity within the party base remains strong, though it is unclear whether he could win the leadership race if allowed to run.
The final list of candidates for SYRIZA leadership will be announced on October 24. An extraordinary party congress is set for November 8-10, with the first round of voting scheduled for November 24, and, if needed, a runoff on December 1.
