“Political neophyte Stefanos Kasselakis was elected the new leader of SYRIZA, in Greece, with no previous political experience,” reports the Associated Press
The news of the election of Stefanos Kasselakis to the leadership of SYRIZA is making the world rounds.
The international media reports that a trader at Goldman Sachs and a political outsider, takes over the “helm” of SYRIZA and succeeds Alexis Tsipras. The foreign press dwells more on the fact that a newcomer to politics, whose face the citizens of Greece did not even know almost a month ago, managed through a skillful social media campaign to lead a party that had previously suffered a heavy defeat.
It is recalled that in 97.39% of the integration, in 522 out of 536 electoral divisions, Stefanos Kasselakis received 70,810 votes and a percentage of 56.04%, while Efi Ahtsioglou received 55,546 votes and a percentage of 43.96%.
“Kasselakis has little political experience,” writes Reuters
“Former Goldman Sachs partner and novice politician Stefanos Kaselakis was elected leader of Greece’s leftist Syriza party, the country’s main opposition, on Sunday, which is hoping for a comeback after a heavy defeat in national elections.
Syriza swept to power at the height of Greece’s debt crisis in 2015, but lost to the conservative New Democracy party in 2019 and June 2023.
Kaselakis, 35, who describes himself as a self-made shipping entrepreneur, beat former labor minister Efi Ahtsioglou.
Kaselakis, who spent more than two decades in the United States and previously worked as a volunteer in the 2008 US Democratic primary for then-Senator Joe Biden, has little political experience. He ran on the Syriza national ticket in the June elections but was not elected. He launched his bid for the leadership in late August.
Kasselakis emerged as the favorite after the first round of voting on September 16, running a deft social media campaign promising to end New Democracy’s hold on power and beating five candidates – most of them senior Syriza members. His candidacy divided SYRIZA supporters ahead of the vote, many of whom said his profile did not fit the traditional Left. His victory has also shaken his centre-left and conservative political opponents who see him as a threat.”
“Kasselakis is a political outsider,” comments the Guardian
“Political outsider Stefanos Kasselakis wins SYRIZA leadership race in Greece,” writes the Guardian, noting that his victory makes him “one of the most powerful people in Greece.”
“Without political experience,” AP writes
“Politically neophyte Stefanos Kasselakis was elected the new leader of the main opposition party, the SYRIZA party, in Greece,” reports the Associated Press, commenting on the victory of a “35-year-old businessman with no previous political experience.”
“A former Goldman Sachs investor takes over the leadership of SYRIZA,” writes Le Figaro
“Unknown in Greece until a few weeks ago, Stefanos Kasselakis, a former Goldman Sachs trader, caused a general surprise by being elected on Sunday as head of the left-wing Syriza party after the departure of Alexis Tsipras.
The 35-year-old businessman, who until recently lived in Miami and never had an electoral mandate in Greece, prevailed over Tsipras’s former Labor Minister, Efis Ahtsioglou. He won more than 56% of the vote among SYRIZA members at the end of an internal campaign that revealed deep divisions within Greece’s leading opposition party.
He is the first openly gay political head of a political party in the country. Having moved to the United States at the age of 14, Stefanos Kaselakis is a newcomer to the political scene.
Many Greeks saw his face for the first time less than a month ago, when he announced in a simple video, and at the last minute, that he is the party’s presidential candidate.”
Source: Skai
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