“We want to change our country and the daily life of our fellow citizens, if this remains our compass we will succeed”, said Stefanos Kasselakis starting his speech at the Central Committee of SYRIZA and added: “We are by far the most independent party, we do not owe nothing, no one is going to silence us, we will remain independent and deeply social”.

The speech of the president of the party, Stefanos Kasselakis

Continue with me a scathing comment about the Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Gerapetritis, and “bowing before the Turkish president, Tayyip Erdogan”. Mr. Kasselakis said: “Personally, I like Mr. Gerapetritis, but you cannot lie that the bow was for the President of the Republic when you had done the same bow at the airport. Imagine if he had been a SYRIZA minister, the government’s propaganda would have made us fall. Propaganda, however, now passes it in fine print. Explanations must be given by the prime minister for the minister’s attitude. The attitude of Mr. Gerapetritis does not honor Greece.” He assured that “the future SYRIZA government will never bow down to anyone”.

Subsequently referred to international developments: “in the war in Ukraine which, as he said, “continues with no prospect of an end, while at the same time, the massacre in Gaza continues after the end of a few days’ truce”. He then said: “We are heading towards a dangerous situation in Europe, where the ongoing structural crisis of the European Union can immediately deepen even more if the far-right forces manage to play a leading role in the new European Parliament. It is in these times that leftist, progressive and democratic ideas and principles need to prevail.”

Mr. Kasselakis underlined that “we must all speak together in favor of the necessity for immediate peace on the eastern borders of the European Union and in the Middle East, demanding again the recognition of a Palestinian state next to the state of Israel, on the borders of 1967 and with the capital East Jerusalem” and added: “But also for there to be in Greece, but also at the European level, a great counterattack of progressive ideas, so that the world can breathe and hope again, that their lives can be improved and they can move forward things ahead”.