Today (15/04), Gabriel Sakellaridis addressed the Makarios Lazaridis case and the trajectory of New Left. In his interview on Parapolitika 90.1 radio show “On Air” with journalist Niki Lyberaki, Mr. Sakellaridis initially made the following comments about the Makarios Lazaridis case:
What Gabriel Sakellaridis said about the Makarios Lazaridis case
“The issue of Mr. Lazaridis has taken a turn it shouldn’t have taken. The turn this discussion has taken has been fueled by himself and he continues to fuel it daily in an extremely provocative manner. The issue is not the degree he holds and whether it corresponds to his ministerial position or his parliamentary office – obviously no one disputes that someone can become an MP or minister without necessarily having a specific degree. The issue is that Mr. Lazaridis constantly lies and lies about matters that concern a position he occupied in the public sector which had specific qualifications and was compensated based on those qualifications. The fact that he was paid by the public sector based on his position as a specialist scientist, which is a private law employment relationship and not a political appointee – a lie that Mr. Lazaridis told – and it’s a position that requires either a master’s or doctoral degree, leaves him exposed and opens up an issue about whether money should be returned for wrongfully paid salaries he received based on this position. Of course, a question arises about how someone who not only lies systematically but also provokes around this irregularity he committed can remain in government.”
What he said about opposition polling numbers
Regarding opposition polling numbers, Mr. Sakellaridis argued that “there is a major credibility crisis overall for the opposition,” adding that “we are paying for sins – collectively the broader progressive space – of the past, which have disconnected the broader audiences that were traditionally infused with progressive and leftist ideas. A world that trusted and mobilized for the Left, and today we see that people are shutting their ears when political discourse is articulated. It’s not just Mr. Tsipras – he bears a portion of responsibility, but I think it would be wrong to blame everything on Tsipras. Obviously this is everyone’s responsibility and what should concern us is how these ‘closed ears’ can be overcome.”
What is the issue for the progressive space
Continuing, Mr. Sakellaridis said that the issue for the progressive space – and by extension for the Left – is how there can be a political upheaval to bring down Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s government. “This question should be answered by Mr. Androulakis and Mr. Tsipras and SYRIZA and the other political parties. If we want this political change to exist, the question should be why PASOK and Mr. Tsipras don’t discuss having a common approach to this situation, which if something like that happened, we would all have to reposition ourselves against a different stake.”
New Left’s trajectory is viable
Additionally, Mr. Sakellaridis emphasized that “New Left’s trajectory is viable through an overall repositioning on issues of its political strategy. That is, a clarification of its political stance, a clarification of its political identity, a clarification of its own political discourse, and I think this will be able to be understood by the people as well. New Left is a party that has real and substantial added value to the political system because it says things that other parties don’t say.”
Absolutely realistic for New Left to continue existing as an autonomous party
Subsequently, Mr. Sakellaridis underlined that it is “absolutely realistic” for New Left to continue existing as an autonomous party, but “within a different framework, where New Left will fight its own battle, will invest in its autonomous presence, will speak with a clear political voice about major issues concerning Greek society and will be able to reconnect again with a broader electoral audience that once believed in the Left and today has turned its back on politics or finds refuge in anti-political and populist parties. I believe that New Left has the ability to achieve this goal – it’s not easy but it’s an effort we will make,” he said characteristically.
Who comes second doesn’t concern society or us in New Left
Finally, when asked if New Left is open to a condition of collaboration with PASOK, Mr. Tsipras and other Left parties so that there can be an alliance, Mr. Sakellaridis appeared positive about this possibility, “because it would change the stakes.” The problem right now is that this discussion is not posed on this basis but is a race and competition between Tsipras’s emerging party and PASOK over who will come second. Who comes second doesn’t concern society and doesn’t concern us in New Left either, Mr. Sakellaridis concluded.
