By Antonis Anzoletou

Stefanos Kasselakis returns from the USA tomorrow, and all eyes are on the final five he will choose to complete the “42” of the SYRIZA Eurolist. According to the quota there should be one man and four women. There has already been a “murmur” that the first 35ada has strong elements of the lifestyle and finally, without any major upheaval, the well-known faces – executives got the “ticket” as expected. In other words, it was not shown what the contribution of the grassroots and primary elections was. The president of SYRIZA will have to respond to this criticism with the final choices he will make and the announcements at Friday’s event.

In Koumoundourou they express satisfaction with the presence of Stefanos Kasselakis in the USA and the contacts he had. Speaking to the Greek expatriates in New York, during the celebrations for the anniversary of the 1821 revolution, he emphasized that “we cannot imagine the concept of Hellenism without the presence of the Greek diaspora around the world”, while pointing out that “I feel a great responsibility to I am here as the leader of the official opposition and as a child of the diaspora, who also lived here in New York for ten years, where I took the first steps in my career, where I met my current husband, where many young Greeks came to prosper when they faced the great financial crisis back home.” “It is necessary,” added Stefanos Kasselakis, “to remind ourselves every day that freedom should not be taken for granted. Peace is fragile, human rights can easily be exploited to advance political or other ends.”

The official opposition leader pointed out: “The best thing we can do as Greeks, as Greek Americans, as Greeks around the world, is to treat each other with solidarity, to help each other, to be a force that will promote peace in our region, a region that desperately needs a Greece with a strong voice on Middle Eastern issues and, of course, a permanent solution for a united Cyprus. Long live Greece, let us remember every day the commitment to be better Greeks for each other and for our glorious history”.

The meeting of Stefanos Kasselakis with the Archbishop of America Mr. Elpidophoros took place in a very positive atmosphere. His Eminence emphasized his joy that an expatriate assumed such an important position in the Greek state. At the center of the meeting were national issues, issues of strengthening the cooperation between the diaspora and the Greek state, as well as issues of ecclesiastical interest. The president of SYRIZA reaffirmed the strong support of the official opposition to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and of course the Archdiocese of America.

During the meeting of the president of SYRIZA with the Steering Committee of the Democratic Socialists of New York organization, the two sides had the opportunity to develop their progressive and social agenda. They discussed issues of everyday life and the economy, as well as issues of human rights and the rule of law. Particular emphasis was placed on issues of labor rights and housing, with both sides agreeing on the need to develop a social policy with the weaker social strata at the center. Mr. Kasselakis presented his program for a progressive governance and discussed with the DSA also about issues of international interest, focusing on the war in Gaza. He noted the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the return of all hostages, the uninterrupted provision of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people and the resumption of negotiations between the two sides, within the framework of the relevant UN resolutions

It is recalled that by decision of the president of SYRIZA, the meeting with members of the Israeli lobby of AIPAC, which was to take place yesterday, was cancelled. According to party sources, the meeting was deemed necessary not to take place after the recent developments in the Middle East and Israel’s refusal to seek de-escalation. The same sources said that all actors must show the required restraint with respect to international legitimacy and mediation efforts. Stefanos Kasselakis had received criticism for this meeting when it became known that it would take place.