2024 Syriza leadership election

A leadership election will be held within Syriza, on the 24th of November 2024, with a runoff (if required) on the 1st of December,[1] after Stefanos Kasselakis lost a vote of no-confidence on his presidency on the Central Committee.[2]

So far, MP Pavlos Polakis,[3] actor Apostolos Gkletsos[4] and MP Sokratis Famellos[5] have announced their candidacies.

## Background

[edit]

### Previous leadership election

[edit]

After Alexis Tsipras resigned as the President of Syriza,[6] a leadership election was called.

On the first round of the elections, Stefanos Kasselakis and Effie Achtsioglou made it to the second round, with 44.9% and 36.2% of the votes respectively, Euclid Tsakalotos reached the third spot with 8.9%, Nikos Pappas followed with 8.7%, and finally Stefanos Tzoumakas got 1.3%.[7]

On the Second round, Kasselakis won over Achtsioglou, 56% to 44%.[8]

### Internal party crisis

[edit]

After the election of Stefanos Kasselakis, the criticism and questioning of his political actions by party members and MPs intensified.[9] Soon, the internal opposition groups "Umbrella" and "6+6" left the party,[10][11] founding, some time later, New Left.[12]

In February 2024, the 4th Congress of the party was held. Stefanos Kasselakis announced extraordinary internal party elections for the election of the president,[13] with Olga Gerovassili announcing her candidacy.[14] In the end, the elections did not take place and tensions were averted in view of the upcoming European elections.[15]

In the European elections, Syriza maintained second place, but with a lower percentage (14.92%) and elected four MEPs. This, combined with sudden replacements of party individuals,[16] changes to the party structure [17] and the suspension of the daily edition of I Avgi, exacerbated the discontent within the party.[18][19]

The questioning of Stefanos Kasselakis culminated in the meeting of the Central Committee of Syriza, on 7 September, during which 100 members submitted a motion of no confidence against the party president,[20] which was adopted by 163 votes to 120,[21] removing the president, Stefanos Kasselakis, and triggering a leadership election.

On 11 September, the date of the election was effectively decided on a meeting of the political bureau of the party, with the final decision pending on the meeting of the central committee. Before the elections, on 1-3 November, an extrordinary congress will take place, where all the candidacies will be presented.[22]

## Candidates

[edit]

Candidate  | Political Experience  | Announcement  | Notes

|
|
|

Pavlos Polakis

(59 years old)

| MP for Chania

(2015 - today)

Other positions:

List

*     * Alternate Minister of Health (2015-2019)
* Deputy Minister of Interior and administrative reorganization of Greece (2015)
* Mayor of Sfakia (2011-2015)

| 7 September 2024  | [23]
Apostolos Gkletsos

(57 years old)

|  | Regional Councillor of Central Greece

(2019 - today)

Other positions:

List

*     * Mayor of Stylida (2011-2019)

| 8 September 2024  | [24]
Sokratis Famellos

(58 years old)

| MP for Thessaloniki B

(2015 - today)

Other positions:

List

*     * Alternate Minister for Environment and Energy (2016-2019)
* Leader of the Opposition (2023-2024)
* Leader of Syriza in the Hellenic Parliament (2023-2024)

| 26 September 2024  | [25]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Συνέδριο 1-3 Νοεμβρίου και εκλογή προέδρου στις 24 Νοεμβρίου και 1η Δεκεμβρίου". ProtoThema (in Greek). 2024-09-10. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
2. ^ "SYRIZA leader Kasselakis falls in no-confidence motion". ekathimerini.com. 2024-09-08. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
3. ^ "Ο Παύλος Πολάκης ο πρώτος υποψήφιος για την προεδρία του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ". efsyn.gr. 2024-09-08. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
4. ^ "Former mayor and actor Apostolos Gletsos indicates interest in SYRIZA leadership race". ekathimerini.com. 2024-09-09. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
5. ^ "Socratis Famellos joins SYRIZA's leadership race". ekathimerini.gr. 2024-09-26. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
6. ^ "Greek opposition leader Tsipras resigns as Syriza chief after election defeat". Politico. 2023-06-29. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
7. ^ "Twitter Greece Elects: SYRIZA-PS Leadership Election Final Results". Twitter Greece Elects. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
8. ^ "Εκλογές Συριζα: Τα τελικά αποτελέσματα της κάλπης". 25 September 2023.
9. ^ "ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Ευθεία αμφισβήτηση της "Ομπρέλας" προς τον Κασσελάκη". ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ (in Greek). 2023-10-18. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
10. ^ "Επισήμως αποχωρεί από τον ΣΥΡΙΖΑ η "Ομπρέλα" αφήνοντας ανοιχτό το ενδεχόμενο για νέο κόμμα". in.gr (in Greek). 2023-11-12. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
11. ^ "Εκτός ΣΥΡΙΖΑ οι "6+6" της Εφης Αχτσιόγλου – Το κείμενο αποχώρησης". Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ. 2023-11-23. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
12. ^ "Και το όνομα αυτού "Νέα Αριστερά" - Κοιτάζει στις ευρωεκλογές". in.gr (in Greek). 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
13. ^ Συμεωνίδης, Γιάννης (2024-02-22). "ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Τάχιστα οι τετραπλές εκλογές για την επανεκλογή προέδρου που ανακοίνωσε ο Κασσελάκης". CNN.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-02-26.
14. ^ "Υποψήφια πρόεδρος του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ η Ολγα Γεροβασίλη". Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ (in Greek). 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
15. ^ "Συνέδριο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Οι εκλογές που δεν ήθελε ο Κασσελακης και η "ψηφοφορία" αλαλούμ". in.gr (in Greek). 2024-02-25. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
16. ^ "Κορυφώνεται η "αποτσιπροποίηση" του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Η απόλυση Τσίπρα, οι αργομισθίες και τα καρφιά". ProtoThema (in Greek). 2024-06-20. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
17. ^ ΛΙΒΙΤΣΑΝΟΣ, ΓΕΡΑΣΙΜΟΣ (2024-06-25). "Κόμμα χωρίς όργανα και... αντιρρήσεις σχεδιάζει ο Κασσελάκης". News 24/7 (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-06-26.
18. ^ "Συλλογή υπογραφών στον ΣΥΡΙΖΑ για τα κομματικά όργανα: Εντείνεται η πίεση στον Κασσελάκη". ProtoThema (in Greek). 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
19. ^ Λέννας, Θοδωρής (2024-06-26). "Βαθαίνει το (νέο) ρήγμα στον ΣΥΡΙΖΑ". Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-06-26.
20. ^ "ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Κατατέθηκε η πρόταση μομφής κατά Κασσελάκη με 100 υπογραφές - Θέμα ηγεσίας και από Πολάκη". CNN.gr (in Greek). 2024-09-07. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
21. ^ "ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Πέρασε η πρόταση μομφής κατά Κασσελάκη με 163 ναι, 120 όχι και 3 άκυρα-λευκά". ProtoThema (in Greek). 2024-09-08. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
22. ^ "Σε εκλογική τροχιά πάλι ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Ο οδικός χάρτης έως την εκλογή προέδρου την 1η Δεκεμβρίου". Ieidiseis (in Greek). 2024-09-11. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
23. ^ "Πολάκης: Καταθέτω υποψηφιότητα για πρόεδρος του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ | LiFO". www.lifo.gr (in Greek). 2024-09-07. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
24. ^ "Απόστολος Γκλέτσος: Δηλώνει «παρών» για την ηγεσία του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ". ProtoThema (in Greek). 2024-09-08. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
25. ^ "Socratis Famellos joins SYRIZA's leadership race". ekathimerini.gr. 2024-09-26. Retrieved 2024-09-28.