The president of SYRIZA-PS, Stefanos Kasselakisbefore starting his introduction to the Political Secretariat, expressed his concern about the escalating violence in Palestine and Israel.

In his proposal, the president of SYRIZA sends a message to the “umbrella” and proposes it Congress of SYRIZA to be held on February 23, 24 and 25.

“We express our deep concern about the cycle of violence in which Palestine and Israel are plunged into thousands of deaths, the intensifying humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the possible extension of the conflict to the peripheral level and the possibility of a new refugee crisis.
The absolutely reprehensible attack by Hamas does not legitimize the counter-attack launched by Israel in the previous days, which cost the lives of thousands of Palestinian civilians and exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in Gaza through the blockade of the area. The highlight was yesterday’s bombing of a hospital in Gaza with hundreds of dead, which – according to media reports – was carried out by the Israeli Air Force. Violence against civilians is in no way tolerated by international law and the basic sense of justice, while the logic of “revenge” will only lead to further escalation of tension and greater losses. Already the three decades that have passed since the signing of the Oslo Accords and the policy of settlements, occupation and blockade imposed by the Israeli authorities prove that the violation of international law and the encroachment on the fundamental rights of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip give rise to only violence and undermine the peace and security of Israelis and Palestinians in the region. We consider the urgent need for international diplomatic initiatives, with an active role of the hitherto embarrassed EU – for an immediate ceasefire and a return to the diplomatic track, with the aim of a solution of two viable states coexisting peacefully, based on the 1967 borders with the capital of Palestinian State in East Jerusalem. We call on the Greek government to support every initiative in this direction and to offer help to victims, refugees and injured, Palestinians and Israelis. We support and will actively support the Palestinian struggle for peace and a just and sustainable solution against the Israeli occupation and any political force that uses violence against civilians to achieve its goals.”

Key points of the president’s presentation:
“Collegivity, democracy are values ​​that I want to serve selflessly and give my whole soul to our Party.
• The massive turnout of the people in the election to elect a new president is a huge responsibility. A responsibility that I do not have only on my own shoulders. We all have it together so that:
1. To meet the expectations of those who came after 2 heavy defeats to join the party, vote for president and support SYRIZA
2. To meet the expectations of leftist, progressive, democratic citizens, who may not have voted for SYRIZA in the last national elections, but their problems require solutions.
Solutions today, not tomorrow. And for this reason, they expect from us concrete proposals, realistic, applicable, and at the same time radical.

Municipal Elections

• Our meeting takes place a few days after the end of the self-governing elections. The truth is that the result of the second round gave us even a faint smile. Because we saw a first crack in the government’s image of omnipotence.
• And it also showed the resistances of the local communities. They did not give in to blackmail, they did not chew on the propaganda of the media that had the audacity to link the vote for certain elected officials of K. Mitsotakis with the funding and support from the central government of municipalities and regions.
• I would like to dwell first on a point that I consider to be pivotal, pivotal for our Party, pivotal for democracy itself: the record abstention from self-governing elections. This fact places a great task on us: to highlight with our example, our contribution, our contact with society the value of participation, participation in movements, participation in society, participation in elections.
• At this point, I would like to tell you something personal. I received suggestions not to expose myself in the run-up to the self-governing elections. The choices were made before I even thought about running for President. “Why would I associate myself with nominations that would likely bring a bad result?”
• I didn’t think about it for a second. As Party President I will be where the party needs me. Every time. That is why I made as many visits as I could: to Thessaly, Attica, Athens, the South Aegean, the Peloponnese and Western Greece. To support our comrades. All those who exposed themselves and fought from the front lines.
• And I believe that my pre-election presence in these areas had a positive effect on the election result.
• As I also believe that we did well and were justified in saying from the first moment, to support all progressive candidates. In my statement even before the first round of the self-governing elections, I mentioned: “in the second round, we will join forces and support the progressive candidate in any case.”
• This I believe expresses the face of the Modern Left. A left that will unite and cooperate for the good of the country.
• Where we can. In self-government, in trade unions, in movements, but also in parliament.

Party

• A cooperation that we will also express at the European level, with the initiatives we will take, for cooperation and companionship with the progressive forces, whether they belong to the Left, or to the socialist space, or to the greens. I will not expand further because I want to meet with the sole topic of Europe and our strategy in view of the European elections.
• I will only say the following: that I want these initiatives to be taken in the context of the European Left, together with AKEL, together with left-wing parties, for the narrative of the modern, European, governing left.
• But discussing the Party and the next day I also want to be clear. Our goal is to build the Modern, Self-Reliance Left.
• A contemporary left in terms of ideas, way of thinking and acting
• A left that will embrace all left-wing, progressive, democratic citizens, which will independently claim the government in the next election. I make it clear: Alliance with all progressive forces when and where necessary to stop the neoliberal policies of the ND: from local elections (as we already did), trade unions, chambers and scientific associations to the Parliament, against the regressive government bills. At the same time, however, I make it clear that the strategic goal of SYRIZA-PS is and must be the formation of an independent progressive government.
So the big question for me is how are we going to do this:
There we must focus all our thought and anxiety. Not in meaningless rivalries within the party, which do not concern anyone outside of us, but also alienate those who want to trust us to solve their problems.
• The first answer to this question (of how we build a modern, self-reliant Left) is through building a party that truly belongs to its members.
Utilizing all modern tools, firstly isyriza which needs to be upgraded. Who will ensure and promote unmediated, continuous, two-way contact with members. And among the members. It will not just inform, but will be “informed” by the members, who will feed our party with ideas, suggestions.
• This does not mean that we will abolish the party organs, the departments, the areas of parliamentary work. But we should find those ways where members will have a meaningful role in producing party policy.
• The second thing I think we should do is to work out concrete policy proposals for every issue that concerns citizens.
From punctuality and high rent prices, to special education schools and elderly care. There is no issue that concerns citizens that is not on our agenda.
• Here too we must make use of your knowledge, the members of the Political Secretariat, the MPs, the people of the departments, but also people besides us. And we have to be where the world yearns and wants us by its side.
• Let us go to them and not wait for them to come to us.

Regional Conferences

• In this context, I propose the organization of 13 regional development conferences. At the same time and in parallel with these, the party will also deal with specific issues (indicative: accuracy, welfare state, housing and bad loans, primary production, European vision, institutions, convergence of Europe, etc.).
• All this will start in November and will be completed by January.
• I will go to all 13 regions.
• We need the involvement of society. The active participation of all members of the party, but also of society. The involvement of self-government, workers, productive and development agencies, scientists, people of culture.

CONGRESS
• This is how we will proceed in an orderly fashion at our conference as well. Which must be done after a structured and detailed dialogue has preceded it.
• A Conference which will express unity, synthesis and the flight forward.
• A Conference that will lead us to an upward path that will also be recorded in the European elections.
My suggestion is that this be held on 23, 24 and 25 February 2024.
I believe in you, I believe in us, I believe that together we will win.
We are going to a big conference about society