After a turbulent session and intense disagreements over the possibility of cooperation with Alexis Tsipras from Pavlos Polakis’ side, the majority of Political Secretariat members of SYRIZA decided to appear open to cooperation with Alexis Tsipras, as proposed by party president Socrates Famellos. Twenty-six members supported the proposal, while three opposed it: Pavlos Polakis, Tryfonas Alexiadis, and Andreas Panagiotópoulos.
The MP from Chania attacked the SYRIZA president with ferocity, saying that Tsipras’ resignation signals a new split, with Socrates Famellos responding that he disagrees with the SYRIZA member’s interpretation of events. Pavlos Polakis’ criticism also targeted Giorgos Chouliarakis and Dimitris Liakos – former SYRIZA government officials and current collaborators of Alexis Tsipras. “What business do we have with their economic policy?” the SYRIZA member stated, further fueling the confrontation.
Famellos-Polakis rift over Tsipras in SYRIZA Political Secretariat
Socrates Famellos, apparently perceiving the murky landscape in the center-left and the fact that SYRIZA voters belong overwhelmingly to Tsipras’ side, decided to move with a sense of self-preservation, more dynamically incorporating the former prime minister into his narrative. “In this environment, the resignation of the former Prime Minister and President of SYRIZA–PS, Alexis Tsipras, from his position as MP constitutes a significant and critical event that objectively produces strong political results and creates new facts and questions that no one can overlook. With President Alexis Tsipras, SYRIZA built governing party characteristics and positions, governed the country and overturned four decades of political correlations that had formed after the Metapolitefsi. Even if there are different perspectives, SYRIZA–PS’s relationship with Alexis Tsipras cannot be confrontational,” the SYRIZA president stated among other things.
Immediately after Socrates Famellos’ speech came Polakis’ “explosion.” According to what he stated in his post: “I do not consider Alexis Tsipras’ resignation a positive development for SYRIZA–PS, which went through two recent splits and managed to balance after the last presidential elections and the recent congress, where we formulated a clear program of left progressive changes on which we called and continue to call all democratic forces to position themselves! Objectively, Alexis’ resignation splits and weakens SYRIZA–PS and what it has concluded and proposes as reason and tactics so far!”.
A clash reportedly occurred between Pavlos Polakis and Giannis Ragousis, as well as between the Chania MP and Giorgos Karameros, due to the positive positions the latter has made in favor of Alexis Tsipras. “The MPs who expressed ourselves positively about Tsipras are listening to a social demand in the neighborhoods of our electoral districts. Neither are suits being tailored nor is there any backstage,” responded the Eastern Attica MP.
Nikos Pappas’ statement
Of particular interest is the fact that Nikos Pappas also supported Famellos’ proposal, even saying that “we should accelerate cooperation initiatives,” characterizing Famellos’ statement on the day of Alexis Tsipras’ resignation as appropriate.
This statement has significance, as Nikos Pappas, along with Pavlos Polakis and Rena Dourou, are among the figures with whom Amalia Street does not appear to maintain good relations.
Olga Gerovasili responded to Pavlos Polakis in her own way, emphasizing that she consistently supports cooperations that are built mainly within society. “The Left has historically changed form, evolved with forwards and backwards movements. With splits and syntheses. We started differently in SYRIZA, we are different people here today. But we finished with splits months ago.” She also added that “We live in days of realignment of the entire political system. We need composure, persistence, endurance and maturity, steadily focused on the big picture and what is necessary for the country. I fought and we fought for many years not to become a ‘hedgehog’ party. No one can predict the distant future, no matter how convenient it would be.”
For his part, the party’s Secretary, Stergios Kalpakis, emphasized in his speech the reasons why SYRIZA should align with Alexis Tsipras, saying: “The line that says ‘no confrontation with Tsipras, but parallel paths aiming at convergence’ retains our social and organizational forces and is an overwhelming majority at the party’s base. If we had a line of high tones, we would have had opposite results. This is what I receive wherever I travel in the country and in our organizations.”
SYRIZA’s Press Representative, Kostas Zachariadis, stated that “SYRIZA–PS must remain politically and psychologically close to Alexis Tsipras. We are not opponents, we are comrades and we are united by our common journey until yesterday, our close and common positions in the current situation and our common targeting for progressive change.”
The Director of the SYRIZA President’s Office, Thanasis Theocharopoulos, aligned with Famellos’ proposal, stating that “the goal must continue to be the governing prospect. That’s why we talked from the beginning about a unified ballot. A strong progressive pole. New facts have been created. Relations with Alexis Tsipras cannot be confrontational. We believed and continue to believe in unity, rallying, reconstruction and transcendence in the progressive space.”
Tryfonas Alexiadis, who is close to Pavlos Polakis, requested two corrections to the body’s decision. Addressing Socrates Famellos, he said: “I propose you put as a title in the P.S. decision the phrase you said, that ‘our proposal includes strengthening SYRIZA.'”
Giannis Ragousis, agreeing with Socrates Famellos, emphasized that “the few common parliamentary initiatives with NEAR and PASOK–KINAL do not foreshadow in-depth cooperation or even a common ballot. Today, more than ever, what matters is not each person’s individual opinion, but the body’s decision. And the litmus test is whether we will recognize that there are new, serious political facts after A. Tsipras’ resignation, for SYRIZA–PS and the progressive camp.”
Giannis Matzouranis also aligned with Famellos’ proposal, emphasizing that “Alexis Tsipras’ moves should not be approached competitively, but cooperatively and with logics not of confrontation, but of dialogue and synthesis for creating an alternative progressive governmental proposal.”
SYRIZA MEP Kostas Arvanitis appeared to respond to Pavlos Polakis, saying that “Tsipras’ departure is not a split. SYRIZA and unity are interconnected. Positive with Famellos’ proposal. The party must go coordinatedly into the new facts. Tsipras’ resignation move stirred the waters, as we all failed (SYRIZA and NAR) despite Famellos’ earnest efforts. The shock was not Tsipras’ honorable surrender of his seat, but those who allowed or rejoiced at his resignation from leadership two years ago.”
