‘Tsipras miracle’ happened once: Greek left on the brink of collapse

The main opposition leftist Syriza party is on the brink of collapse as internal elections to replace former prime minister Alexis Tsipras in the party’s leadership has turned into an unprecedented toxic civil war.

The European Left does not rule out a party split scenario, while MEP Stelios Kouloglou told Euractiv that the “Tsipras miracle happened once”, meaning that Tsipras’ success leading a small leftist party into power will not happen again easily.

On 24 September, the second round of Syriza’s elections will occur amid what Greek media describe as an escalating civil war between the two contesters: Stefanos Kasselakis and Efi Achtsioglou.

In the first round, Kasselakis ranked first with 45%, followed by Achtsioglou, who got 36.2% of the vote.

‘Newcomer’ wins first round of Greece’s left elections

Stefanos Kasselakis, a 35-year-old businessman, the most recent addition to the race for Greek main opposition leftist Syriza party’s leadership, won the first round of the internal elections on Sunday, getting 45% of the vote. A crucial second round is …

A clash between two different worlds

Shortly after the first round last Sunday, knives came out in the party with shameful verbal attacks.

The attacks escalated to such an extent that prompted the intervention of general secretaries – Rania Svigou and George Vasiliadis – who called on contesters to return to a civilised debate away from fake news and insults, reminding them simultaneously that the “enemy” is ruling conservative New Democracy party (EPP).

Former prime minister and Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras resigned last July following a heavy defeat by the New Democracy party.

Since then, Syriza has been struggling to get back on its feet and elect a new president amid growing tensions over the party’s ideological orientation, which aligns with the European Left.

Many analysts suggest that Stefanos Kasselakis, a 35-year-old US-educated businessman who lives in Miami, the most recent addition to the race for Syriza leadership, represents the “new” element Syriza needs to reinvent itself.

In the first round, it is estimated that he attracted thousands of new members not necessarily belonging to the traditional left.

Yet, his liberal profile has not been left unnoticed by the government, considering that only Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has captured the “liberal” space of Greece’s political spectrum.

In the second round, Kasselakis also enjoys the support of Nikos Pappas, a prominent Syriza figure.

For her part, former minister Achtsioglou belongs to the traditional left and keeps reminding the electorate of her rich political experience compared to her contester’s almost zero political background.

Kasselakis only volunteered on the staff of then-Senator Joe Biden for the 2008 Presidential Election.

Achtsioglou enjoys the support of the party’s hard left and traditional leftist media and has said she aims to become the first female PM of the country.

A split is possible

Several Greek media reported that the pre-election debate has been so toxic that the party’s unity is severely at stake after the second round.

Earlier this week, an EU Left official, who wanted to remain anonymous, urged for unity after the elections.

“We need a united Syriza to take down Mitsotakis”, the official told Euractiv.

Sira Rego, Vice-Chair of the EU left in the European Parliament, said a Syriza split is possible.

“I don’t know what will happen in the process at the moment. There is an internal process that we hope will be carried out very successfully and that a strengthened Syriza will emerge,” she said.

Rego pointed out that she did not want to make “political future fictions” but explained that countries with different parties in the EU had already left, such as Portugal and Spain.

“That is to say, it is possible”, she noted.

She did not want to comment on Syriza’s internal processes, but referring to her Izquierda Unida party, which is currently in negotiations to form a progressive government in Spain, stressed that political programmes matter more than people who will represent them.

“We always put the political project before who will represent it. Therefore, renewal has more to do with a programmatic renewal, with a renewal of the strategic project […] She said not so much perhaps looking to the past to learn, but projecting towards the future”.

MEP: Tsipras miracle happened once

Contacted by Euractiv, Syriza MEP Stelios Kouloglou said the ongoing Syriza crisis exposes the party’s real problems, such as not having a basis in local politics or syndicates.

“A party that relied on Tsipras who had created the culture of the miracle […] but miracles happen only once”, Kouloglou said.

Kouloglou described Kasselakis as a “paratrooper into enemy territory” who doesn’t know the left, and the left doesn’t know what political views he stands for.

However, Kasselakis “was the only one who told the electorate that he is going to take down Mitsotakis”, Kouloglou said, adding that such a message was much needed for leftist voters.

“Within three months since the national elections, Mitsotakis is experiencing an unprecedented political crisis in the government […] Two ministers have already resigned, half of Greece has burned, and human lives have been lost in floods”, Kouloglou noted.

Referring to Achtsioglou, he said she listens to some people in her staff who, as they did with Alexis Tsipras, lead her into mistakes.

“They think they know everything, but in practice, they lead her to a disaster”, he said, adding that some in her staff “significantly underestimated Kasselakis”.

He said while Kasselakis campaigns in every corner of Greece, Achtsioglou has been limited to criticism through social media.

“Also, before the elections, Achtsioglou did not promote a debate but requested it when she lost the first round. She lost her chance to prevail against Kasselakis at the political level and to reveal that her opponent had no political positions. Now Kasselakis has no reason to go to a debate,” he said.

Kouloglou also emphasised that Achtsioglou made a mistake in her statement after the first round as she essentially turned against the voters of Kasselakis.

“That was a big mistake, which shows that a part of her staff is out of touch with the basic principles of politics”, he noted.

A general EU Left crisis?

Syriza is considered a prominent political force in the EU Left camp; however, after Tsipras’ departure, maybe this will be a “paper tower”, Kouloglou said.

The European leftist parties’ fragmentation and crisis are also reflected in French politics.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s radical left party, La France insoumise (LFI/The Left), is pushing for the left to run in the European elections with a unitary list, as it did in the 2022 parliamentary elections with NUPES, a coalition that brings together the four main left-wing parties.

However, its NUPES partners have refused. On the one hand, they explain that the differences between them on European and international issues are too significant: European defence, support for Ukraine, federalism or denunciation of the treaties, economic liberalism, attachment to the Atlantic alliance, etc.

On the other hand, current projections show that the Left split into four independent lists (Greens, Socialists, Radical Left, Communists) would win more votes and MEPs than a united list.

For now, it is unlikely that a single list will see the light of day before the European elections in June 2024, although several NUPES leaders, particularly socialists, are beginning to suggest that consideration should be given to this.

However, the recent tensions between Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s party and the communists threaten to end any hope of unity.

In the latest episode, LFI MP Sophia Chikirou, a close friend of Mélenchon, on Wednesday compared communist leader Fabien Roussel to Jacques Doriot, the communist leader who became one of the main collaborationists of the Vichy regime during the Second World War.

According to Mr Roussel, these remarks were “a call to hatred”.

(Sarantis Michalopoulos, Davide Basso, Max Griera | Euractiv.com)