The former president of SYRIZA disputed the decision of the Central Committee which decided to exclude him from the leadership race, Stefanos Kasselakis and predicted that the Congress would be adjourned.

In his interview with the Star he said: “The announcements coming out against me are shocking: ‘the matter is over’, ‘irrevocable decisions’, who makes these decisions, who is the president of SYRIZA?”.

He further said: “I accept the decision of the Central Committee to depose me, however I should remain the party chairman and lead the party to the Congress and the election of the leader. The extraordinary Congress approves the nominations. The upcoming Congress can decide what it wants. We will be here until the end. At the moment no one is a candidate, the Congress is the body that approves the nominations. They want to disqualify me because since I am a candidate, the base will be expressed and I will not lose. They fear the wrath of the world. There is a wave in my favor that they see in the organizations.”

To a question about whether he intends to found his own party, he replied that “we have our own party, SYRIZA, I am not abandoning it, I have promised that I will not betray the members of the party”.

He condemned the attacks of his followers on journalists, saying: “Behavior that is inconsistent with the morals and principles of the Left and Democracy does not express me.”