As reports multiply that Alexis Tsipras is considering announcing his new political party as early as the end of this month or, at the latest, in early June – that is, from May 26 to June 10 – pressure is intensifying within SYRIZA toward Socrates Famellos to take initiatives.
These initiatives concern a potential proposal from SYRIZA to Alexis Tsipras for electoral cooperation. Given that the former prime minister has made clear he doesn’t collaborate with parties, but only with individual personalities, this scenario is unlikely to materialize.
In this case, officials who, in any event, have no prospects with Tsipras’s party, will insist on SYRIZA’s independent candidacy, even if this means that the Koumoundourou party will move in opposition to the new political formation.
Socrates Famellos cautious about his moves regarding Alexis Tsipras
The SYRIZA president appears, for now, reluctant to make any move, as he apparently hasn’t clarified how he should proceed and how cooperation with the former prime minister’s new party formation could emerge. All he repeats is that he desires cooperation with progressive parties and, obviously, with Alexis Tsipras.
Nikos Pappas, however, who belongs to the group of officials who don’t see themselves in the new formation, requested through a letter early this week the convening of the Political Secretariat. According to the party’s constitution, if a member requests the organ’s meeting, it must convene within the following days. Thus, it’s expected that the SYRIZA Political Secretariat will meet next week to discuss all scenarios.
In his interview, Nikos Pappas mentioned that “SYRIZA has a voted strategy for broad cooperation, which also addresses Alexis Tsipras. Socrates Famellos should, in the coming hours, the next 24 hours, communicate with him, based on the party’s decisions. This isn’t about a personal relationship or a stroll that two friends will end up taking. Both have institutional responsibility.”
Nikos Pappas clarified that the appeal to Tsipras is part of the cooperation strategy SYRIZA has already voted on. “A round table should be organized, with Famellos, Tsipras, Katseli, Kotzias, Kokkalis present, and all these matters should be discussed,” he mentioned.
Elsewhere, the SYRIZA MP characterized Alexis Tsipras’s resignation from Parliament as a “mistake” and admitted they haven’t spoken since then. Asked whether Alexis Tsipras desires cooperation with SYRIZA and with specific people from the space, he said: “I would be surprised if Alexis Tsipras abandons a policy we implemented in the early 2010s that made a small leftist party a dominant force.”
Meanwhile, he launched attacks against Giorgos Vasiliadis and Kostas Zachariadis, who promoted, in different ways, the dissolution or suspension of SYRIZA. “I heard Vasiliadis saying that established parties should self-dissolve. Fortunately, Alexis came out and said that’s not his strategy.” About Kostas Zachariadis he said: “I can’t imagine the press spokesperson recommending party suspension.”
At the same time, the Public Relations officer of the Alexis Tsipras Institute, Theoni Koufoniolakou, referring to Tsipras’s new venture, emphasized that: “I would be worried if we hadn’t reacted and if we didn’t have this kind of criticism one expects when trying to do substantial work. Regarding what we can expect, we should expect the creation of a new political formation, a new party, a party that will have new officials but also officials with governing experience, a party that has vision, has a coherent narrative. The Manifesto gave some elements, perhaps a bit theoretical, a bit academic. The manifesto isn’t a programmatic position, but from there on expect a formation that comes with the culture of service, transparency and accountability, because we believe very much in this. Collectively and personally, Alexis Tsipras.”
