Former SYRIZA prime minister Alexis Tsipras announced his resignation from the Greek Parliament on Monday morning. He was member for 16 consecutive years.
In an open letter, he said that his decision was “one of conscience” and he aims to return “to social action”, away from office and party mechanisms.
Among others, he said:
“I resign because I cannot and do not want to maintain the office of MP, with all the privileges that this entails, when I feel that my participation, especially with the special condition of the former Prime Minister, does not offer anything substantial to those who trusted me.
Because I cannot and do not want to participate formally in a Parliament that, democratically stripped, with the responsibility mainly of the majority, is unable to perform the role that the Constitution dictates and the citizens demand.”
He stressed that he resigns as a SYRIZA MP, but not “from political action”.
He did not resign from the party, though, and he will not continue as Independent lawmaker, meaning that he returns his seat to the party.
Tsipras’ resignation coincides with the ongoing rumors – rumors he allowed to circulate for months – that he plans to establish a new political party with the aim to “unite” the left-wing front.
It should be recalled that many SYRIZA supporters turned their back to the party after Tsipras introduced Stefanos Kasselakis as his successor in the party leadership who ultimately and practically managed to dissolve it.
PS Good luck with the new party… “Some had forgotten that he was still member of SYRIZA,” said the older cat.
