Kasselakis says his SYRIZA leadership is ‘strengthened’ after chaotic congress
The SYRIZA congress that ended Sunday has “obviously strengthened” his position, party leader Stefanos Kasselakis said in an interview to state broadcaster ERT Monday.
Earlier in the week, Kasselakis’ leadership was challenged by party officials, with his predecessor Alexis Tsipras saying in a posting that a new vote for party leader should take place, five months after the one that Kasselakis won. The unprecedentedly toxic party congress, marked by frequent vocal disruptions by delegates and political back-and-forth, concluded on Sunday, deciding against a new leadership election.
“A stadium full of people was roaring, saying ‘keep your hands off Kasselakis.’ I received a clear mandate to proceed with SYRIZA’s necessary structural changes,” the opposition leader said in the interview.
Kasselakis highlighted his intention to stay in power until at least the next national elections, set to take place no later than 2027.
Regarding the former SYRIZA leader’s absence from the congress, Kasselakis said he respects Tsipras’ decision, even though he considers his absence “mistaken.”
“We were not informed about Tsipras’ public announcement until a minute before [it happened],” Kasselakis explained.
In the same interview, Kasselakis stressed that he has been elected as leader of a “non-governmental party,” adding that “a party with 17% cannot rule a country,” referring to SYRIZA’s 2023 national election result under Tsipras’ leadership.
