Kasselakis split sparks political realignment

The definitive split between SYRIZA and former president Stefanos Kasselakis, who announced the formation of his own political party over the weekend, is driving major shifts in the domestic political landscape and parliamentary dynamics.

With the recent departure of four MPs – Alexandros Avlonitis, Kyriaki Malama, Rallia Christidou, and Petros Pappas – SYRIZA’s parliamentary group is now down to 31 MPs, equaling PASOK’s. 

If SYRIZA loses one more MP from its parliamentary group, it will relinquish its status as the official opposition for the first time since gaining it in the 2012 elections.

Attention now turns to Theodora Tzakri, former SYRIZA parliamentary group secretary and a close Kasselakis ally. Following the party’s split during a tense three-day extraordinary party congress that ended on Saturday, Tzakri declared that “SYRIZA no longer exists.” Whether she will become the fifth MP to depart remains to be seen.

It is understood that MPs Ioannis Sarakiotis, Giorgios Gavrilos, and Yota Poulou, along with state list representatives Elena Akrita and Evangelos Apostolakis, are also aligned with Kasselakis. Nina Kasimati had similarly sided with the former president during recent internal conflicts within SYRIZA.

One scenario suggests that Sarakiotis, Gavrilos, and Poulou may step down from their leadership roles within SYRIZA’s parliamentary group but remain in the party.

SYRIZA has issued a clear warning to potential defectors: “MPs who ran and were elected under SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance should not go independent without returning their seats to the party. Moreover, they have no political or ethical legitimacy to undermine the main opposition position that the people entrusted to SYRIZA-PA with their vote in the parliamentary elections,” read a party statement issued after the congress.

Kasselakis would need to secure 10 MPs to establish a new parliamentary group. Meanwhile, with PASOK potentially poised to assume the role of official opposition, a shift of MPs toward the socialist party cannot be ruled out.