By Antonis Anzoletou

His departure was not “lightning out of the blue”. Yannis Dragasakis from SYRIZA. The former deputy prime minister in the period 2015-2019 had kept a clear distance almost from the beginning of the presidency of Stefanos Kasselakis last September. Two moves followed that showed that the “divorce” will not take long: First, his letter in November in which he analyzed the wrong path the party has taken by making six proposals that he called “measures to build mutual trust.” Secondly, his resignation as a member of the Central Committee shortly before the end of 2023. It is recalled that Yannis Dragasakis was a candidate with SYRIZA in West Athens in last year’s national elections after a meeting with Alexis Tsipras who had asked him to to help strengthen the party.

Those around him say that the time he chose to make this move is neutral. Not before the European elections, not too close to the conference to create a problem for him SYRIZA. His disagreements were captured in the clearest way in the statement he issued after talking about the de-leftization of SYRIZA. In high tones, he predicted that the party will be in a permanent crisis and added: “The developments put us in front of two interrelated tasks. First, to fight for a new mass, popular party of the Left, from the radical left to left social democracy and second, a progressive alternative to the problem of governing the country. Let each and every one respond to this double duty in whatever way and from whatever position they choose.”

What becomes clear from his environment is that there is no possibility of joining another formation. And he himself, after all, analyzes that the fragmentation that exists now does not help to reconstitute the space and it is necessary to build something new. Is Askos tou Aeolos open? The historical figure essentially rings a “bell” for the entire progressive world, but also for anyone who does not feel comfortable in the new environment that has been created in Koumoundourou. So far, however, none of the dissidents of the internal party opposition have left any indication that they might leave the party. Not the “87”, nor the trio Tebonera, Kotsaka, Tsioka who are no longer working on the instruments.

It is certain that in Koumoundourou at the moment there is a waiting attitude in view of the conference. No one “opens their papers” since the moment, in fact that at the last meeting of the Political Secretariat the Stefanos Kasselakis appeared more unifying than ever. The move by Yannis Dragasakis, with the special weight he has, cannot be ruled out in the next period of time to “tilt the scales” for those who have second thoughts or for executives who are close to him. The harsh response of Koumoundourou, who spoke of “communities and big mouths without content” showed that they do not exclude the possibility of turmoil. Kostas Zachariadis, although as he stated he disagreed with the departure of Yiannis Dragasakis, he noted by sending a message to Koumoundourou: “The discrediting of comrades when we part ways is foreign to my own code of principles and values.” Pavlos Polakis’ comment was ironic: “Black day for the Bank of Greece today…”