The internal confrontation continues in high tones SYRIZA. After the latest rapid developments, 117 members of SYRIZA from Crete, among them the Giorgos Stathakis and Andreas Xanthossign a text-intervention for SYRIZA and the Left in Greece, expressing their dissatisfaction and stressing that “the party has become leader-centric”.

In more detail the text of 117:

The following signatories, members and friends of SYRIZA-PS from Chania and Rethymno, express our dissatisfaction with what is happening in SYRIZA, but also our concern for the Left in Greece.

It is a long time now that the political and organizational choices of the party have moved away from its founding and constitutional principles. The above results from the decisions of the leadership group, from announcements, political initiatives, parliamentary practices and the functioning of the institutions.

Very briefly, we highlight the following:

The party has also become constitutionally leader-centric. The President has long ceased to be first among equals and this was made official at the last conference. Policy-making is an almost exclusive prerogative of him and his close associates, discrediting the democratic functioning of the relevant party bodies. In the name of an apparent participation, multi-person bodies were created, which meet rarely and have zero effectiveness and political efficiency.
Social grounding has always been a vital need and broadening the party’s base a commonly agreed goal. However, the way in which the so-called enlargement took place, not only did not help its organizational reconstruction and action, but completely altered the characteristics of a left-wing party. At the top “transcriptions” of surnames and at the base thousands of registrations of “one-time members”. The non-existent political function of the organizations relegated the new members to voters who line up behind MPs, party officials and agents.
The social references of the party had a provocative one-sidedness in favor of the middle class and the political alliances had an exclusive orientation towards the Center space. The party began to mutate into a center-left, the term Left became rare and the terminology of a progressive faction prevailed. This shift was reflected in the breakdown of the party’s relations with the popular strata and the youth. In the recent elections the working class, the world of wage labor and the youth turned their backs on us. In the chimera of appeasement of the “wronged” middle class, we have discarded our basic class references.
SYRIZA has never denied government responsibilities. He proved it in practice in a field mined by memorandum commitments. Together we defended the titanic and successful effort of the period 2015-19 to get out of the suffocating environment of bankruptcy and austerity, with society standing. The aspiration of a new left-wing government in completely new fiscal and political conditions was not achieved because, with the shallow “anti-Mitsotokism”, we were not convinced that there was a credible alternative to the neoliberal and authoritarian ND government. In the name of becoming a “governor” again, we downgraded the “left”. And today we are neither one nor the other.
A group of party executives and members, encouraged by presidential immunity, slandered through social media against anyone who differed from the scandal and insisted on programmatic confrontation based on the principles and values ​​of the Left. Slanders about “undermining the President”, “leftists” and “return to 3%”, dynamized the climate of internal party cohesion and trust.
The above describes a process of political degeneration and the loss of every democratic safety valve that facilitated the elevation of Stefanos Kasselakis to the presidency of the party. The vulgar homophobic attacks he receives have the universal condemnation of all of us. But this does not mean tolerance and consent to political choices that worry and disturb us. The obvious deficits of political knowledge and experience, the ignorance of the party’s basic programmatic positions, but above all its public interventions and statements to date, break every statutory, organizational and political collective commitment. In an arbitrary way, the new President and the group that supports him are attempting to de-left SYRIZA-PS and the definitive evolution into a “nervous” party of the Center, with the sole aim of defeating Mitsotakis. Which, however, in order to occur requires a reliable progressive political response, as was demonstrated in the 2nd round of the self-governing elections.
We are concerned when we see politics relegated to the level of communication management. The communication “noise” is combined with continuous statements of empathy for the weak in society and disgust for the pathologies of the state and the country, without the slightest reference to the programmatic positions of SYRIZA-PS. Stefanos Kasselakis arrogantly declares that only he can defeat Mitsotakis, but without the dividing lines being visible. So much so that in the recent intervention at the BSE conference, Stefanos Kasselakis hastened to adopt classic views of neoliberals everywhere that “capital is a tool for reducing inequalities”! Another typical example is the heterodox announcement-position on the Palestinian issue, with which there was almost complete identification with the government.
The present situation leads some members to resign and others to demobilization and inactivity. The active world of SYRIZA and its unaffiliated friends find it difficult to recognize themselves in the party. We, the undersigned, fervently want Mitsotakis and the ND government to be defeated. But the opponent of the Right is the Left. For this reason, it is necessary to do what SYRIZA-PS is not doing: to put the left agenda in political life and to reclaim the lost ideological hegemony of the Left in society.
We, the undersigned, are on active standby. We expect and wish that all processes of internal party democracy (e.g. O.M. and thematic) as well as all representative bodies will start and function, so that a meaningful political debate becomes possible. Voting alone is not democracy. Democratic processes start with an assembly. Also, that an essential and democratic conference be organized soon where the essential for our political personality and perspective will be discussed and updated again. We remain doubtful whether the current party administrators will allow this. We are not sure that the political slide can be reversed. But it is worth fighting for the party we love, for the party once trusted by the popular strata.
In the meantime we are not idle. The political-ideological stakes that accompanied the presidential election brought close to the party many active citizens who care and hurt the Left. Many non-members are watching us with interest and anxiety. With them we are (as of now) discussing the reconstruction of the modern European and radical Left, which will be open to various ideological currents, but at the same time will respect its basic ideological, political and moral principles.

The following signatories, members and friends of SY.RIZ.A.-P.S. we will continue to work, inside or outside SY.RIZ.A.-PS., for the Left that society needs.

Co-signed by:

Angelaki Efi
Angelaki Maro
Amalia Androulidakis
Antonousaki Olga
Apostolakis Kimon John of Kimon
Apostolakis Kimon Christos
Arvanitakis Manolis
Argyantopoulou Chrysoula
Artzouchaltzi Maria
Vakalis Pericles
Katerina Vakirtzi
Vassalos Antonis
Katerina Venianaki
Vergerakis Lefteris
Minas Voulgaridis
Antonis Gavalas
Jensen-Papaioannou Inge
Georgoulas Babis
Georgula Zoi
Giakoumidakis Vangelis
Ganadaki Eftychia
Gekkos Panagiotis
Grigorakis Dimitris
Daskalakis Vardis
Delverudi Lizianna
Drygiannakis Manolis
Zervakis Stelios
Kazilas Giorgos
Nikos Kalaitzidakis
Kallergis Manolis
George Kalliterakis
Katsantonis Giorgis
Kehagiadaki Despina
George Kokovlis
Korda Maria
Kouvatsos Sakis
Peggy Kunenaki
Koufaki Alexandra
Koufakis Manolis
Thomas Krevetzakis
Latos Manolis
Lochaitis Rhodes
Petros Lymberakis
George Makrakis
Malukou Tasia
Manousaki I’m checking
Manousaki Chrysoula
Markaki Katerina
Markantonis Efthimis
Markoulaki Stavroula
Mitsaina Kostas
Spyros Mikroulis
Michaelidis Alekos
Michelaki Fotini
Mourtzanou Ioanna
Bageri Mary
Bardatsou Niki
George Barbounis
Bartzokas Yiannis
Michalis Bikakis
Dimitris Bokis
Markos Botonakis
Dimitris Boutrogiannis
Brillaki Konstantina
George Mylonakis
George Myrsilidis
Nikitaki Aphrodite
Danos Angelos
Blond Andreas
Napoleon sword
Wood Georgia
Eleni Xylouri
Economou Giorgos
Marina Papadakis
Papadakis Manolis
Papaeliaki Eftychia
Papaioannou Skevos
Andreas Papandreou
Pavlakis Giannis
Dimitris Pavlakis
George Peroulakis
Pesvantis Takis
Pefkianakis Nikitas
Eleftheria Petraki
Petropoulos Andreas
Petroulakis Vassilis
Revelakis Giannis
Sakoutis Grigoris
Samiotis Ilias
Sarris Giannis
Sarros Kostas
Sultan Zacharias
Katerina Spantidaki
Sperelakis Iakovos
Stathakis Yiannis
Stathakis Giorgos
Stathis Panagiotis
Stamelaki Vagelio
Rania Stavrakaki
Syntyhaki Christina
Tzanakis Manolis
Tzekaki Maria
Topali Kaiti
Kostas Tsikoudakis
Pharaoh Maria
Farmasoni Fotini
Fiotakis Yiannis
Eleni Fournaraki
Eleftheria Frogoudaki
Fokas Christos
Charoni Dimitra
Hatzievangelou Kiki
Hatzinikolaou Nikos
Hatzipanagiotou Manolis
Giannis Hinos
Hino Pantelis
Psarras Takis