In the aftermath of Alexis Tsipras’ resignation from SYRIZA’s Parliamentary Group, a major discussion has begun regarding his next moves and potential collaborations.
Sources report that on Tuesday (7.10), phones at Amalia Street were ringing non-stop, while Alexis Tsipras received hundreds of supportive messages on his mobile phone for his new venture. Among these, several calls stood out from Local Government officials elected with PASOK, who told him they are willing to resign in order to participate in Tsipras’ new venture as parliamentary candidates.
Tsipras’ interlocutors clarify, however, that he didn’t wink at anyone, made no behind-the-scenes agreements with anyone, didn’t call on anyone to make any moves. They also point out that Alexis Tsipras was clear in his statement and left no room for misinterpretation. He said he would go out to speak and listen to citizens. Those writing such scenarios don’t know Alexis Tsipras.
A core choice throughout the former prime minister’s political career has been renewal. To give opportunities to new faces, with dynamic positions that can inject society with something new. To try to create something new, something disruptive. A brief look back at the figures who emerged during his long political journey, both at party and governmental level, proves this. And it’s something that doesn’t change.
Just as “out of the box” was his move to leave his parliamentary seat and its privileges, equally “out of the box” are expected to be his moves in the near future. In short, Alexis Tsipras is not going to ask SYRIZA MPs to resign to follow him. However, when he announces his party, any figure from progressive parties who approaches him and whom he considers to have a profile that fits the new venture, obviously he won’t say “no”.
Meanwhile, commenting on Nikos Androulakis’ statement (“because there is genuine anxiety in the progressive world for a strong opponent against New Democracy, I want to say that this effort cannot be based on opportunistic behaviors or behind-the-scenes processes”), some officials said that now Alexis Tsipras is no longer SYRIZA’s problem, and therefore PASOK’s president should clearly answer whether he intends to take the next step aligning with progressive parties or continue a dead-end struggle that could ultimately lead him to support New Democracy.
Alexis Tsipras is expected in the coming period, on the occasion of his book launch, to give a major television interview in Greece or abroad. He will then begin tours throughout Greece, where he will come into contact with citizens, speaking about his vision and analyzing his thoughts for tomorrow. His intention is not to respond to what parties will say about the past, since he has decided to turn to the future.
Obviously, he knows very well that some parts of what exists in his book will particularly annoy his former associates, but he considered that he should tell his own truth. After all, his intention with the book is to settle accounts with the past. In spring, around March or April, he is expected to announce the creation of the new party formation.
According to the same sources, there is already a core of people aligning with him. These people are personalities who are each considered successful in their field.
At the same time, there is great concern in SYRIZA, with Pavlos Polakis sending SMS messages to Political Secretariat members requesting a meeting of the body “because things are not going well in the party”. Socrates Famellos, for his part, realizes that at this particular moment the situation is explosive in SYRIZA and would not want to make things worse than they are.
