The resignations of independent MPs with roots in SYRIZA — who will subsequently join the Greek Left Alliance — will inevitably trigger a domino effect of changes in the composition of the Greek Parliament, while also setting the stage for a broader convergence of political forces. This applies in particular to SYRIZA and the New Left, as wide-open channels of communication appear to have been established between the former comrades. As is customary, the seats left vacant will be filled by the next candidates on the electoral lists. Since last week, SYRIZA’s parliamentary group has already begun to grow indirectly, with Socrates Vardakis and Zoe Anastasopoulou taking over the seats vacated by Haris Mamoulakis and Dionysis Kalamatianos, who departed to join Tsipras’s party.
Read also: New Left attacks Marizeta Antonopoulou & ELAS: “Tsipras’s one-man party has divorced itself from the Left”
The SYRIZA–New Left matchmaking: The key figure
Among the independent MPs expected to resign in the coming period in order to join Tsipras’s party is Nasos Iliopoulos, the independent MP for Athens A’. The figure set to succeed him carries considerable weight in left-wing circles and boasts a rich history of anti-dictatorship activism — he was a prominent member of the Student Resistance Committees and the “Rigas Feraios” organization. We are referring to Nikos Voutsis, who appears poised to return to parliament after a three-year absence.
There are many who believe that the former Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament (from September 2015 to July 2019) could serve as a bridge between the New Left and SYRIZA — particularly given that he has no intention of joining Tsipras’s party. Both at SYRIZA headquarters on Koumoundourou Street and at New Left’s offices on Patission Street, the view is that this veteran left-wing figure could play a decisive role in brokering an agreement between the two parties, with an eye toward a cooperation that would benefit both sides.
After all, Voutsis has an intimate knowledge of the left-wing political landscape, is regarded as a figure of immense experience, and held the third-highest constitutional office in the country during one of its most turbulent periods — from 2015 to 2019. He also continues to command respect within SYRIZA, despite having chosen to leave alongside other comrades during the storm of the Kasselakis era.
The veterans
Beyond the former parliament speaker, there are other figures who are said to be keen on opening dialogue between the two sides. Notable examples include Makis Balauras, a figure with a long track record in the reformist left, as well as Nikos Filis, who could also find his way back into parliament through a chain reaction of seat changes — contingent on a possible resignation by Dimitris Tzanakopoulos. In addition, independent MP for Florina, Peti Perca, and independent MP for Achaia, Sia Anagnostopoulou, are both reportedly open to an electoral cooperation between the two parties.
All of the above suggests that there are still many who believe the flame of the reformist and radical left in Greece has not been extinguished, and that this political space continues to search for a meaningful voice in the country’s affairs. Whether any of this will ultimately come to fruition, however, remains to be seen.
Originally published in Apogeumatini
