Explosive atmosphere in SYRIZA: The disagreements, withdrawals and spikes

An explosive atmosphere, perhaps even more explosive than what even the most pessimistic expected, took shape on Saturday at the meeting of the Central Committee of SYRIZA-PS, with Stefanos Kasselakis calling on the KE to make an immediate and clear decision on the four executives under deletion or to hold a referendum on their expulsion. On Sunday at 11 in the morning, the work of the KE starts again.

“Give SYRIZA its cure from the faces that hurt him and belittle him. Condemn their behavior in action. Make a decision immediately and clearly!” noted Mr. Kasselakis in a speech that was marked by applause but also interruptions by party officials.

The alliances in SYRIZA were reflected through the withdrawals (85 out of a total of 300 are the departures, say KE sources), and is the “new map” for further developments, which are expected to be rapid. As expected, “Umbrella” (representatives Tsakalotos, Filis, Vitsas) withdrew from the stormy meeting of the Central Committee, and we will see what will happen to their withdrawal from the party. Mrs. Ahtsioglou’s team also left (with Nasos Iliopoulos and Alexis Haritsis among others), the collusion she had with Dionysis Tebonera who left together with Antonis Kotsakas is interesting.

“Umbrella” and the network of Dionysis Teboneras are meeting, with the departure of “Umbrella” from the party seeming just a matter of time, while Mr. Teboneras left all possibilities open.

Attempts at compromise

Olga Gerovasili, Alekos Flambouraris, Nikos Pappas, Yiannis Ragousis and Thanasis Theocharopoulos remained in the KE, but disagree with the referendum. These SYRIZA executives are seeking a last-minute compromise. The goal is for there to be a reference to the referendum in the EC’s decision, which will somehow disconnect it from the deletions. It is however clear that there will be a political condemnation of the “four” (Nikos Filis, Stefanos Tzoumakas, Dimitris Vitsas and Panos Skourletis who left) so that it will be voted on. Mr. Kasselakis, they say, essentially bypassed the referendum except for the KE and the Ethics Committee with its president Antonis Kotsakas reacting strongly by addressing the president of SYRIZA.

The attitude of Alexis Tsipras

Mr. Tsipras is no longer a member of the KE, he did not go even though he has every right, nevertheless essentially with his intervention yesterday and the phone calls, among others, with Mr. Flambouraris and Mrs. Gerovasilis, he showed his strong concern, and he will remain in the stance of neutrality that he maintained all this time.

Pavlos Polakis is in favor of the deletions

Pavlos Polakis spoke at the episodic meeting of the Central Committee. He declared in favor of the deletions and stated, among other things, that “I want SYRIZA as the ruling power”.

“Existential Question”

“Today I raised an existential issue regarding the president’s speech on the referendum. An undemocratic and divisive proposal for SYRIZA members. I said let’s discuss it directly before any other discussion. I even said that the meeting in the KE is without content. For its part, the bureau refused to put any voting issue, there was a rejection, while in my opinion the majority wanted to discuss this issue. Today the organ of SYRIZA was brutally trampled. This is not a matter of political disagreement. But existential” she noted Efi Ahtsioglou.

“It made no sense for us to stay at the meeting,” emphasized Mrs. Ahtsioglou, clarifying that he does not leave the party.

“The bureau did not even accept that our proposal be put to a vote”

“Today, after the speech of the president and the two secretaries, Efi, Dionysis and I made a procedural proposal to discuss first the issue that the president raised for the referendum. We said that it is not easy to have a discussion under the shadow that a referendum can be held (…) We tried to convince them that this is a very important issue. The bureau did not even allow our proposal to be put to a vote. I said it should go to the end, so there will continue to be a shadow over the committee and that’s why we decided to leave” said Euclid Tsakalotos.

“I have supported the party of 32%, 17%, and I want to assure that I will support both 3% and 0.3%. Debate under threat of deletions and referendum, that is lynching cannot be done. Talk about a fifth phalanxI have not heard this from a left-wing person” commented sharply about the president of SYRIZA, Mr. Tsakalotos before leaving the KE meeting.

“The Kasselakis proposal is substitutive, anti-democratic”

“The president’s proposal to hold a referendum and refer to a referendum is a substitute proposal that is deeply divisive and anti-democratic. We asked for the immediate withdrawal or to be put to the judgment of the central committee. As soon as this was not accepted, we leave the meeting” he said Dionysis Teboneras.

To the question whether it is a departure from the party, he answered “we will meet soon and tell you.”

“It’s a trick to turn procedural issues into political ones,” emphasized in her statement Olga Gerovasili commenting on the departure of the group of Efi Ahtsioglou, Dionysis Tebonera and the members of “Umbrella” from the SYRIZA Central Committee.

Olga Gerovasili “called her companions to speak calmly and honestly without tricks.”

Reply to Stefanos Kasselakis gave the chairman of the Ethics Committee, Antonis Kotsakas, during his speech from the podium of the Central Committee,

THE Dimitris Vitsas he left the room earlier, in protest of what was heard according to ERT. Dimitris Vitsas, on his way out, said “I’m leaving, I can’t listen to Kasselakis”.

On his part, Nikos Filis shouted “disgrace” while Stefanos Kasselakis was speaking.

Earlier, Stefanos Kasselakis opened fire in the Central Committee against the SYRIZA executives under deletion, as well as those who oppose his actions, amid applause and disapproval.

“The departure of the executives under deletion, it is not the split of SYRIZA but the beginning of unity“, the president of SYRIZA said, asking for a resounding majority for the deletions, or an appeal to the party members.

The president of SYRIZA in his speech accused the internal party opposition of trying to dissolve SYRIZA, saying that it is not possible to be in the party with what they say and do. At the same time, he insisted that some executives who are against him were undermining SYRIZA under Alexis Tsipras with their attitude.