By Antonis Anzoletou

The road ahead of Stefanos Kasselakis until the SYRIZA statutory conference (October 4-6) is difficult. In the intra-party field, the fronts that have opened are many. The opposition of “87” is on guard and is already preparing its next steps with the online meetings it holds. Almost all the executives expect to know the changes the president is preparing at the organizational level until the Central Committee takes place at the beginning of September at the latest. There have already been many reactions to thoughts regarding the abolition of the Prefectural Committees, the Member Organizations, but also the Central Committee in the way it has been operating until today.

The conflict with Pavlos Polakis is not over and everyone is waiting – especially Stefanos Kasselakis – to see how the Chanio MP will move in the top party process. As a gesture of goodwill, the president did not at all discuss the expulsion from the party’s organs, as requested by the internal party opposition.

He remains an independent MP, but some believe that the good scenario wants him to return to the ranks of the “35”. No one wants to talk about “bad” even though many see him as a “dolphin” candidate if things don’t settle down. The former deputy health minister, however, has not opened his papers. The polemic that has opened with Athina Linou is causing additional “headaches” in Koumoundourou. In which party does one member of parliament accuse the other of financial irregularities with the public and this is hidden under the “carpet”?

Othon Iliopoulos’ departure from the parliamentary group was added to the open issues. Will Popi Tsapanidou occupy the seat, so a new field of conflict will open with Alexis Tsipras? The former prime minister will appear from the leadership group as actually putting a “block” in the entrance of the party president to the Parliament.

“Who can better exercise opposition in the Plenary than Stefanos Kasselakis himself?” they say from his environment. In the event that Georgetta Lali takes the seat, another conflict with the New Left will take place, as the former executive of the European Commission has joined the parliamentary group of Alexis Haritsis. The convocation of the Ethics Committee was finally extended and Christos Spirtzis will be asked to apologize by September 3. According to information, the former Minister of Transport does not intend to attend or to post a letter. It is recalled that at the beginning of July, in a letter to Stefanos Kasselakis and Rania Svigou, 70 executives requested his removal, accusing him of “substitutive and anti-party behavior”.

It is not only internal parties that concern Stefanos Kasselakis. In Koumoundourou, they know that if SYRIZA is led to the congress with “low-flying” polls, things will not be easy for him. Especially if the percentages are worse than those of the European elections. The pressure will be tight from the “87” who will argue that the party is now out of the government orbit and cannot return. If things come to an extreme, it is possible that the issue of leadership will be raised a second time.

In the “equation” should be added the project of the united center-left and the pressure that the president will receive from a portion of executives to collude with PASOK. In any case, the developments and the new leader of Harilaou Trikoupis will be a “barometer”. In this atmosphere, Stefanos Kasselakis and his staff have to prepare for his promotion to TIF (September 14-15) where, in all probability – despite his initial reservations – he will speak at the Vellide Foundation on Saturday and on Sunday he will hold the usual press conference.