The pre-election campaign of the two candidates for the presidency of SYRIZA is developing in a battle of trenches.

Twenty-four hours before the polls open, Efi Ahtsioglou and Stefanos Kasselakis raise the tone for the red, with spikes and accusations on both sides.

Efi Ahtsioglou accuses Stefanos Kasselakis of not having answers to political issues and of being ignorant of major issues, such as foreign policy, while Stefanos Kasselakis, for his part, responds with ironies and sharp points about SYRIZA’s policies in the past and argues that in foreign policy he “steps” on the policies of Andreas Papandreou and Alexis Tsipras.

Ahtsioglou: It shows that there is a rather critical deficiency”

Efi Ahtsioglou, in contrast to the previous period, maintains high tones and escalates ahead of Sunday’s elections, stressing her assessment that her internal party opponent has no political positions.

In her new statements, on Friday night in the Star, she attacked Stefanos Kasselakis again, saying: “Stefanos Kasselakis did not make a slip of the tongue, he is unprepared, despite the fact that he retracted.”

“I never expected Stefanos Kasselakis to make this innovative statement that the occupied territories are the state of the Turksit’s a serious mistake, I called him to retract and he retracted, SYRIZA’s presidential candidate Stin SKAI said yesterday Efi Ahtsioglou.

To a question if his placement shows ignorance, Ms. Ahtsioglou replied that she does not want to use that wordbut added that his placement yesterday “shows that there is some rather critical deficiency.”

“On Sunday we are electing the leader of the official opposition, it is extremely important that we understand the seriousness of this role. The leader of the official opposition must have key characteristics such as; knowledge, political plan and parliamentary presence and experience, elements necessary to be robust and reliable” he said.

He also commented that Mr. Kasselakis “has supported a series of slogans, although necessary, but we cannot stop at slogans, we must also come to the essence” as he typically said.

For the fact that Alexis Tsipras has not taken a stand regarding what they accuse her of undermining himMrs. Ahtsioglou replied that this is a major issue that ultimately affects Mr. Tsipras himself.

“Alexis Tsipras chose an attitude of silence and he is consistent with it, whatever intervention he made would be decisive in the electoral process. He rightly maintains a stance of neutrality,” he said and added that “respect for Alexis Tsipras is respect for the position of being neutral.”

“Those who know Alexis Tsipras, see the people he had chosen to be by his side” he said characteristically.

Mrs. Ahtsioglou emphasized that she herself can guarantee a winning course for the faction and added that it is important for the leader of the official opposition to exercise militant opposition in Parliament as well.

When asked if SYRIZA will be united on Monday and if she herself will meet with Mr. Kasselakis if she wins, she answered:

“On Monday I will meet them all if I am elected, unity as far as I am concerned is guaranteedthe lowest common denominator is also necessary, otherwise we cannot have governmental possibility”.

He added that there will be unity with two basic conditions, the agreement on the political framework and the end of the cannibalistic slanderous attacks.

When asked if such attacks emanate from Mr. Kasselakis, he answered “not from Mr. Kasselakis, but the man who is by his side, Pavlos Polakis, is a person with permanently abusive tactics. This is a downer, he has to stop, we all have a memory of his incendiary posts” as he said.

He added that he has called on Mr. Kasselakis to condemn such behaviors.

He concluded by saying that the result of the previous Sunday is reversible, and added that he has proven that he is a soldier of the faction.

Finally, he called on the ruling faction not to be happy because from Monday SYRIZA will be united and with a plan for society

Kasselakis: I am not perfect like those who made the Katrougalou law

Responses to his critics after the uproar created over his reference to possessions of Cyprus as “their state” gives through Facebook The Stefanos Kasselakisleaving clear points for SYRIZA officials, while giving the stamp of his positions on foreign policy, saying that “I am treading on the political legacy of Andreas Papandreou and Alexis Tsipras”.

Stefanos Kasselakis answers about his Greek, about the patriotic modern left, about the Greek-Turkish language and his positions on major political issues.

His post in more detail:

I am responding to the worst written after my verbal rant.
All here.
In front of you, directly.

👉”It’s not his fault that he doesn’t know Greek well, he’s irrelevant”
I have written many times in the American press about our national issues and our national rights.
Unfortunately in English the relevant terminology is completely different.
I am not perfect, like those who made the Katrougalu law.

👉”How is he going to represent us internationally?”
In English, it is the answer.
Until my Greek becomes like my English, in English.
Are you saying they don’t speak them abroad?

👉”To tell us what he stands for in foreign policy”
The positions of a patriotic modern Left, with the legacy left by the SYRIZA government.
Defense of national sovereignty and sovereign rights of the country against any threat.
Dialogue with neighbours, only for continental shelf/EEZ delimitation at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, with specific red lines:
-no demilitarization of the islands
-no joint exploitation before the EEZ is demarcated
-no divestiture of our sovereign right to extend our territorial waters to 12 nautical miles.

👉”He revealed his agenda, he is not a patriot”
I revealed that… in Greek I want a job.
I follow the political legacy of Andreas Papandreou and Alexis Tsipras in foreign policy and in our national issues.
I don’t have any MP on my side who considers the Muslim minority to be Turkish.
I have no member of Parliament on my side who believes that there was no genocide of the Pontians.
Questions about patriotism elsewhere, not me.

The keys to the match for Sunday

In the middle of the confrontation between the two candidates, the polls for the election of a new president in SYRIZA will open on Sunday morning. Everyone will be judged there and the new president of the official opposition party will emerge.

The “keys” of the match, according to estimates, are the following:

-The rate of abstinence

-what will the supporters of Tsakalotou and Pappa do?

– the difference of 9 points that Kasselakis got in the first round