SYRIZA: What the five presidential candidates said at the Permanent Congress – See photos

The Permanent Congress of SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance concluded on Saturday, with the speeches of the five presidential candidates. Efi Ahtsioglou, Stefanos Kasselakis, Nikos Pappas, Stefanos Tzoumakas and Euclid Tsakalotos they “opened” their papers, presented their vision for the “SYRIZA of tomorrow” and are now officially candidates to succeed Alexis Tsipras, who, however, did not attend today’s proceedings.

The work of the Permanent Congress has begun with unanimous approval of the five nominations for the position of SYRIZA president. The nominations were approved as a single proposal.

The conference proved to be an informal debate, with the positions of the candidates diverging quite a bit as to how the official opposition will become “attractive” again in wider social strata, but also in organizational matters. However, in the “wells” there was widespread optimism for a short recovery of the party. The “big bet” now, is the number of participants in internal party elections.

The nominations were approved as a single proposal.

In addition, the Central Electoral Committee was approved which will take over the electoral process for the presidency of the party.

The secretary of the Central Committee requested that the presence of the people at the polls next Sunday send a strong message Rania Svigou. “Society needs a strong and united SYRIZA. We exist for the difficult, we are not afraid of the difficult” noted the secretary of the KE.

“May the next day find us stronger and more united for the great change that the country needs” remarked the Deputy Secretary George Vasiliadis.

Ahtsioglou: “We are with the many, not the elite”

“We were and are with the many and for the many. We are proud and proud of our route. Because it was full of struggles fought with the people for the people. And that’s how we will continue,” she emphasized Efi Ahtsioglou.

Making her mark, the SYRIZA-PS presidential candidate emphasized that she will proceed “with pride, but not arrogance. With selflessness, but not naivety. With combativeness, but not dogmatism”, emphasizing that the main goal of SYRIZA-PS is “to express the great social majority: the workers of the private and public sector, the unemployed, the young, the rural class, the professionals and the small businessmen. To express their real needs, their expectations, their anxieties”.

Kasselakis: “The day after my election, SYRIZA of the Modern Left will start”

With thanks to his co-candidacy for the presidency of SYRIZA PS, Efi Ahtsioglou, began his speech at Permanent Conference of the party the candidate Stefanos Kasselakis. I appreciate her very much. I admire you both as a woman politician and as a mother for what you do,” said Mr. Kasselakis, saying that “at some point our political opponents will understand that we are too tough to die.”

Mr. Kasselakis spoke of a SYRIZA of the modern Left “against injustice and inequalities, for the defense of rights, for sustainable development and environmental protection, for the world of work and healthy entrepreneurship, for the defense of national integrity, but also of national sovereign rights based on international law”, emphasizing that “the day after my election to the leadership of SYRIZA, 41% ends. As alibi and as reality. The day after my election, SYRIZA of the Modern Left starts. Open to its members. In the society. To the new generation. Within the movements”.

Pappas: “The path of the left progressive democratic faction leads to a better future”

Nikos Pappas developed his proposal on what SYRIZA-PS should do to regain power.

He began by mentioning in the ND government saying that it “proves very early that it cannot guarantee all-round modernization, but all-round crisis. And in society and in the economy and in institutions and in the environment. So it is very likely that it will soon have a political decay. Does that mean we automatically win? On the contrary. There is no ripe fruit, no automatic political pendulum.”

Tzoumakas: “Let’s move forward with unity and new struggles”

​​​​​​”All of us must aim not just for Mitsotakis to lose – he is doing his shift – but to lead right-wing politics to defeat”, said Stefanos Tzoumakas, in his speech. “With knowledge, honesty and credibility for the shift of SYRIZA PS towards a new political and social majority. Forward for a stream of victory, in the strategy of the ruling party”, he emphasized.

Tsakalotos: “This is who we are – You don’t make discounts just to win the elections”

THE Euclid Tsakalotos who closed the speeches, said among other things that “whoever wins, we will support him”, while he proposed the work of the ant, because this is the only way forward “a party that wants to expand and ground itself with society. We will find new guys that we will work with for a four-year period and build them up. Society will teach them, they will be recognized.”

Two changes to the list of members supporting Stefanos Kasselakis

It is noted that the staff of Mr. Kasselakis announced two changes to the list of 30 members who support him: instead of Kleios Agourakis, Yiannis Voulgarakis signs, and instead of Georgia Ranela, Anna Konstantinidis signs.