SYRIZA, Greece’s once-dominant left-wing party, is at a critical juncture as it prepares for a decisive congress in June. The party wrapped up a two-day central committee meeting over the weekend as it attempts to redefine the party’s platform and organizational structure before SYRIZA’s Congress in June, but fierce infighting threatens to derail these efforts.
Prominent figures like Nikos Pappas, Pavlos Polakis, and Christos Spirtzis have openly clashed with the current leadership under Sokratis Famellos. At the heart of the conflict are proposals to eliminate internal factions and revise key statutes – changes that some see as necessary for unity and others view as power grabs.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. In the June 2023 elections, SYRIZA secured 17.83% of the vote, but recent polls indicate that it trails dramatically behind ruling party New Democracy, PASOK, and Plefsi Eleftherias. Public support is hovering at just 6-7%, far below what the party needs to mount an effective opposition and coaltions with PASOK and Zoe Konstantopoulou’s Plefsi Eleftherias, appear unlikely.
Famellos, who took over as party leader in December, is under pressure to present a clear direction for SYRIZA. A “Restart Committee” is being formed to engage figures from different backgrounds in an attempt to reconnect with the public. Famellos has stated that SYRIZA “will be both a dynamic, radical and progressive opposition to an unjust, unpopular and destructive government, but also a clear progressive alternative government proposal.”
Pavlos Polakis, a key player within the party, is another figure to watch. He has maintained a relatively low profile under Famellos’ leadership, but recent statements suggest he may push for a “clear program of specific changes,” potentially forming a new group within the party.
Meanwhile, rumors are circulating in Greece that the party’s former president and former Prime Minister of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, may be considering a comeback for the 2027 Greek elections- or as late as 2031.
For international observers, the current strife within SYRIZA highlights the broader challenges facing left-wing populist movements across Europe – struggling to balance populist rhetoric with governance, especially in the aftermath of economic crises, and counter balance the growth of right-wing parties.
This level of internal conflict would have been unimaginable a decade ago when SYRIZA, under Alexis Tsipras, surged to power in 2015 with a fiery anti-austerity platform that resonated with Greeks suffering under harsh bailout measures. Yet, once in power, the party was forced to agree to a new bailout that contradicted its core promises, causing a rift within its ranks and alienating voters.
Since losing power in 2019, SYRIZA has struggled to maintain a coherent identity and unite its factions. Tsipras stepped down in 2023, and the controversial political newcomer Stefanos Kasselakis skyrocketed to the head of the party. In just one year after Kasselakis’ election, he was ousted by SYRIZA’s central committee through a motion of no confidence, accused of authoritarian leadership and lack of alignment with the party’s principles, which, in reality, are not clearly defined. Now, as the congress approaches, the party faces the critical challenge of reinventing itself as a more cohesive, credible opposition force.
