First candidate to replace Tsipras in Greek leftist Syriza emerges

Former minister Efi Achtsioglou will announce on Wednesday her candidacy to replace Alexis Tsipras in the leadership of the main opposition leftist Syriza party, Greek media reported.

Achtsioglou is a lawyer and has been a lawmaker since 2019. Under the leftist Tsipras government, she served as minister for labour, social insurance and social solidarity.

Syriza was heavily defeated by the conservative New Democracy party (EPP) in the second round of the Greek elections in June, getting 48 seats in the 300-member parliament, leading to the resignation of Tsipras.

Read more: Greece’s Tsipras resigns from leftist Syriza’s leadership

According to local media, she has good chances of getting party’s leadership as she is considered close to Tsipras – who essentially controls the party – and enjoys the support of the so-called internal opposition led by former finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos.

However, the puzzle gets complex as right after Achtsioglou expressed her interest in running, Tsakalotos leaked his will to enter the race to the press.

Since Tsipras’ resignation, the party has been in internal turmoil regarding the timeline of the new leader’s election ahead of the upcoming regional and local elections in the autumn.

According to the discussion, the new leader will be elected in early September.

However, a big question that Syriza needs to answer is the party’s ideological orientation.

Currently, there is a division between those suggesting a “leftist” turn while others back a more modest approach opening up to the centre-left.

(Sarantis Michalopoulos | EURACTIV.com)