After the initial shock brought by Alexis Tsipras’ resignation as a SYRIZA MP and the enthusiasm that prevailed among the majority of the party’s parliamentary group members, came the interview in Efimerida ton Syntakton, where the former prime minister clarified his intentions toward his comrades. The message that Alexis Tsipras sent to SYRIZA MPs is none other than that there is still a long road ahead before he decides how he will proceed and with whom, effectively showing that for now he intends to appeal to a different electoral audience.
During the week, however, SYRIZA’s Political Secretariat is expected to convene, where Pavlos Polakis and his group are expected to move critically against Socrates Famellos for the stance he maintained toward the former prime minister when he resigned. This session is characterized by SYRIZA officials as difficult, since there will be a clash between those who believe that the next day for their political path passes through Tsipras’ party and those who know they will be left out of the new venture. Some, however, argue that Pavlos Polakis is ready to claim the party, in case the majority of his comrades align with Alexis Tsipras in the future.
Meanwhile, two polls that came to light show great potential for a possible party by Alexis Tsipras, but also SYRIZA’s ability to endure difficult times.
What polls show about a possible Tsipras party and SYRIZA’s resilience
In the GPO poll for Parapolitika 90.1, almost 1 in 4 respondents believes that Tsipras’ return could fill the existing opposition void. More specifically, regarding the possibility of establishing a new party by Alexis Tsipras, 23.9% of those asked believe it could fill the opposition void, while 74.1% are opposed. In the same measurement, SYRIZA appears to be losing some strength, as it was at 5.2% in September and today sits at 4.6%.
At the same time, the Opinion Poll survey for Action 24 shows SYRIZA in vote estimation at 4.5% (+0.3%), while in voting intention at 3.6%. To the question of whether they would vote for a Tsipras party, 8.6% answer “definitely,” 17.5% “I could vote for it,” and 69.5% “I could not vote for it.” Compared to the previous survey, there is an increase in “definitely will vote” by 2.1% and a decrease in “could vote” of 7.8%. Thus, the sum of “definitely” and “could vote” goes from 31.8% to 26.1%.
If we examine the responses among voters of left and center-left parties, we see that 34.7% of SYRIZA voters in the European elections answer “definitely yes,” 6.3% of PASOK voters, and 1.8% of KKE voters. Simultaneously, 44.6% of SYRIZA voters, 42.3% of Course of Freedom voters, 18.2% of KKE voters, and 15.8% of PASOK voters declare they “could vote for it.”
For now, however, Koumoundourou officials have decided not to abandon the fight for political survival. In this context, they are conducting tours throughout Greece while participating in all trade union mobilizations. Today, in fact, on the occasion of ADEDY and Athens Labor Center’s strike over the 13-hour workday, SYRIZA calls on its members to participate in the gathering at Syntagma Square. As SYRIZA officials say, “with this specific bill, the government takes another step in transforming the country’s labor market into a jungle, which is also its declared goal. The Kerameus bill impoverishes and further worsens workers’ position. It is essentially a continuation of Adonis Georgiadis’ 2023 law, which established the 13-hour workday with two employers. With the Kerameus bill, this awful regime can be imposed by a single employer. In this context, the minister’s claims about workers’ supposed right of refusal are at least ridiculous, when everyone knows and experiences the Damocles sword of dismissal.”
