A major and unusual change in the Greek parliamentary landscape. Left-wing SYRIZA has lost its “main opposition party” status as the second largest party after two MPs resigned on Thursday morning and the party has 29 seats in Parliament. Socialist PASOK is now Greece’s main opposition with 31 seats.
The unprecedented development comes a few days before SYRIZA elects its new leader and deposed leader Stefanos Kasselakis announced the formation of his new party.
Both SYRIZA and PASOK had the same number of seats, that is 31, after the 4 resignations last week. SYRIZA kept its status of “main opposition” as it was the party that had more MPs following the elections results.
However, MP Giota Poulou changed the balance with her resignation earlier today and she was followed by MP Theodora Tzakri. Both MPs has announced their resignations in the last couple of days and they are both supporters of Kasselakis.
The status of “main opposition party” is rather institutional with benefits such as more employees in the Parliament, more state funding ahead of parliamentary elections. But more important is that in crucial issues debates among party leaders in the Parliament, its leader speaks right after the Prime Minister. Another benefit is also the promotion of party’s statements in the Greek media landscape. But most important of all is the the leader of main opposition party is also the main challenger for the position of a Prime Minister during elections.
“It i the first time the people’s will changes without elections,” said SYRIZA officer Kostas Zahariadis. It is an “institutional deviation, the will of the Greek people is being blatantly distorted and violated,” said the party in a statement.
This is a truly sad but not unexpected development for the left-wing party that managed to govern from 2015-2019 amid the worst economic crisis in Greece and won 71 seats in the Parliament after the elections in June 2023.
The party started to crumble after controversial and politically unclear leader Stefanos Kasselakis, elected in September 2023, stirred it with accusations and efforts to get rid of old high-ranking party officials. He was deposed a year later, in September 2024 and continued to attack and slander his former “comrades.”
Now, those SYRIZA members and supporters who claimed that he was “planted” to destroy the party see themselves confirmed in their suspicion.
However, true is that Kasselakis was only one of the “evils” that led to the disaster of SYRIZA. Voter and supporters had sharply criticized the party for failing to perform real opposition to the government of conservative ND of Kyriakos Mitsotakis after 2019.
Kasselakis will announce the formation and the name of his new party on upcoming Saturday, November 23, 2024.
