The president of the Parliamentary Group of SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, Nikos Pappas, spoke to ERTNews about the developments in the official opposition.

Initially, Mr. Pappas emphasized: “Look, here we live, I think, the interest and the consequences a bad election result. We have made mistakes and I think that the public debate as it develops is unfortunately characterized by absolutes in public positions. There is no one who does not have responsibilities. We all have responsibilities and we must say this to the world that is watching us and expects us to say something about the problems that concern them, instead of producing inside news, I think we have the way, we have the statutory provisions to solve all the issues democratically.

Allow me to defend the efforts we have made, because we have made public positions both on accuracy and on taxation, but they are overshadowed by public positions, which are unfair to those who make them, but also unfair to our collective effort.

We had the exact same discussion again in February at our previous conference and I would even tell you with roughly the same position of the top executives.

I think that at this moment and in the climate that has been formed, to transfer to the base dilemmas that we cannot solve with synthesis and consultation, is not something that corresponds to the responsibility we have towards the world. I have clearly said that from the beginning not in the elections. The party currently has both political and programmatic and executive stock. He has positions and decisions that have not found a place in the public debate.

Let me give you an example: The decision of our last Central Committee says that SYRIZA claims to lead a large progressive electoral alliance.

I invite you and the television viewers who listen to us to think if we had served this decision consistently and without “embellishing” our public image with confrontations which are also of an extreme nature, many times I believe that we would have taken too many steps and in the condition of the rapid decay of the New Democracy, there would be an image of a potential reversal of the scene, that is, a potential alliance of progressive forces, at this moment, could have an image of an overthrow”.

The alliances

Answering the question with which allies SYRIZA-PS could keep up with, he answered: “With the progressive forces, the ones that are identified, but in principle, as you understand, the major issue has emerged as to whether we will be able to come to an agreement with PASOK.

I also encountered this after the European elections. That in any case is a result which puts us in front of responsibilities. This was reflected by SYRIZA in its collective decision.

But beware, with the New Left there is a thorn which is moral and political. It is the fact that people have been elected with the SYRIZA flag and they took the seats and left. And that wouldn’t be a good start to a potential partnership. But there is, I would tell you, a strong dilemma.

I read in a Sunday newspaper that there is a scenario to split SYRIZA, to split PASOK, to split the new Left and to build something new in the progressive space.

And these scenarios there are people who actually discuss them. And I wonder, do they really believe that through divisions will rally the morale and faith of progressive citizens for a possibility of political change. So in the face of these scenarios, I think the only thing that can stand is what we have decided together and we must finally serve”.

For the changes in the statute

Referring to this matter, he said: “I am not in the statute committee. We will see what are the proposals that will come to the Central Committee through the exhaustive discussion, which I understand took place in the Statute Committee. I am confident that we will come to proposals that complete the transformation of the party, which we already started in 2022. What did we decide in 2022?

Starting from the grassroots leadership election, we decided to become the most democratic and transparent party.

What does this mean? Our members of parliament will be elected through primary elections. In other words, the base will decide on the composition of the ballots. We will have strong regional bodies, which we do not have.

The elected MPs also have a democratic legitimation from the people, who chose to vote for SYRIZA and have received the cross of preference.

I insist and repeat that we are waiting to see what recommendation will come from the Statute Committee to the Central Committee and you will allow me to be placed on the bodies in principle.
The responsibility that is compatible with the position from which I now serve, also limits my own possibilities to express my personal opinions”.

There is a blurry picture of what everyone intends to do, but in any case I tell you that Stefanos Kaselakis is the elected president of SYRIZA, he has a three-year term and the procedures that are foreseen in the event that a question is raised are absolutely clear. I’m not saying they’re illegal. Absolutely democratically, absolutely openly, and we have to discuss these.”

For Polakis and the internal party opposition

As Mr. Pappas stated about Pavlos Polakis “he is a member of the Parliamentary group. It was normally deleted for reasons that became known in other circumstances when it was deleted from the caucus. In my opinion welcome back

And I would tell you not only because he suffered a disciplinary penalty, which is extreme, which is the removal from the parliamentary group, but also because there is, there is also a political dimension.
Mind you, when it comes to leadership, I don’t think even Stefanos Kasselakis himself would like the image of taking disciplinary measures against those who criticize and question him.

We will solve all the issues politically. We have positioned ourselves and we will also position ourselves in the Central Committee and I think we have the possibility on the ground of our voted decisions to see the next steps.

What strikes me though and I’d like to say, I haven’t seen an alternative formulated platform. I haven’t seen. That is, when someone raises an issue so important, that is to say that there must be a change of leadership. He cannot but have formulated an alternative strategy and recorded it in a text. Say you know something? The current leadership is taking things in that direction. I want to go there.

There has been an error, there has been no alternative platform. The platform and resolution, which we have almost unanimously voted for, is active. It is the party’s decision that is waiting to find space in the public debate to be implemented. Errors and criticism should of course be done and done with an open heart and I don’t think anyone claims infallibility.

But raising such a leading issue without having formed an alternative platform that has a beginning, middle and end, with programmatic characteristics, with political priorities, that the party says I want to take it elsewhere, not where the current leadership. I have not seen this.”

The proposal to change the name and Alexis Tsipras

The president of K.O. of SYRIZA, pointed out that: “I don’t think there is any intention or any possibility to form a single-person party treaty. I am telling you that SYRIZA is a participatory party, that it has taken steps for the participation of its base, much more than in the past.

And since you also asked me about the name thing, I think so that is not what we should be concerned with at this particular moment. The main issues that should concern us are the issues of improvements and changes in our structure, which will make us even more transparent and more democratic in our operation.

Because I see the name of Alexis Tsipras being circulated in various ways, I believe that if Alexis Tsipras wanted to say something, he would have said it, or if he wants to say something along the way, he will say it himself.
Therefore, those who circulate his name and reinterpret his desires and positions in the public debate, I think they do so in a vain way.

Alexis was appointed in February, we did not agree there, we had a different approach. This is democratic, this is legitimate, he is the historic leader of the faction, he is the man who took the party from the 3% and made the best use of our ideological and political arsenal and heritage to make us a governing party.

He has a lot to offer both to the faction and to the country and I think that if he wanted to say something he would have said it. We always talk and it is a relationship of years, decades and which is apart from politics, it is also companionship. That doesn’t mean we always agree. And I think you won’t be surprised if I tell you that even when I was the director of his office we might have disagreed about something, but my official responsibility would never allow me to do that publicly.”

He went on to say that: “I believe that at this political moment, if we show as a leadership that we cannot go forward with compositions and implementation of the decisions passed and go back to the base, to say that we have made you bitter for a year by the fact that we are producing more internal news and now we throw the ball to you and manage the image that has been formed due to the responsibilities of leading executives, with your own initiative and your own final decision and your own dilemmas will not be appropriate.

The conversation about the changes in the statute was lively and I want to tell you that our Conference is also by its title a statute, which means that we want to take the steps that complete a process of transformation that we have started.

I told you an example before, we did not have strong regional organizations at the district level, very important decisions are made, look at Thessaly, funds are shared, priorities are set, infrastructure projects are made and our party does not have the managerial competence at the District level to monitor , to form an opposition line.

Finally, referring to the issue of H. Spirtzis, he said: “I consider that Christos Spirtzis has made unacceptable placements in the public sphere. You know he is also my friend. We also have a personal relationship. I have huge deep disagreements. I think he can get very creative and I don’t think the issues should be resolved by deletions.”