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2024 Syriza leadership election
A leadership election was held on 24 November 2024. The winner was Sokratis Famellos, an MP of Syriza and former leader of the parliamentary group. In second place, with a small gap to the winner, was the MP from Chania, Pavlos Polakis, who said that he did not want a second round.[1]
These elections — the most tumultuous in Syriza's history — were marked by the decision of the party's supreme bodies to reject the possibility of former Syriza president Stefanos Kasselakis running, a decision that caused fierce disputes among the party's executives and grassroots members.[2][3] BackgroundPrevious leadership electionAfter Alexis Tsipras resigned as the President of Syriza, in June 2023[5] a leadership election was called. On the first round of the elections, Stefanos Kasselakis and Effie Achtsioglou made it to the second round, with 44.9% and 36.2% of the votes respectively, Euclid Tsakalotos reached the third spot with 8.9%, Nikos Pappas followed with 8.7%, and finally Stefanos Tzoumakas got 1.3%.[6] On the second round, Kasselakis won over Achtsioglou, 56% to 44%.[7] Internal party crisisAfter the election of Stefanos Kasselakis, the criticism and questioning of his political actions by party members and MPs intensified.[8] Soon, the internal opposition groups "Umbrella" and "6+6" left the party,[9][10] founding, some time later, New Left.[11] In February 2024, the 4th Congress of the party was held. Stefanos Kasselakis announced extraordinary internal party elections for the election of the president,[12] with Olga Gerovassili announcing her candidacy.[13] In the end, the elections did not take place and tensions were averted in view of the upcoming European elections.[14] In the European elections, Syriza maintained second place, but with a lower percentage (14.92%) and elected four MEPs. This, combined with sudden replacements of party individuals,[15] changes to the party structure [16] and the suspension of the daily edition of I Avgi, exacerbated the discontent within the party.[17][18] The questioning of Stefanos Kasselakis culminated in the meeting of the Central Committee of Syriza, on 7 September, during which 100 members submitted a motion of no confidence against the party president,[19] which was adopted by 163 votes to 120,[20] removing the president, Stefanos Kasselakis, and triggering a leadership election. On 11 September, the date of the election was effectively decided in a meeting of the political bureau of the party, with the final decision pending upon the meeting of the central committee. Before the elections, on 1-3 November, an extraordinary congress will take place, where all the candidacies will be presented.[21] On 12 October, the Central Committee of the party decided that Kasselakis cannot be candidate.[22] On 8 November, after the new rejection of his candidacy by party's conference, Kasselakis left Syriza and announced the foundation of a new party.[23] A day later, the party's Extraordinary Congress voted to confirm the candidacies of Polakis, Famellos, Farantouris and Gletsos.[24] CandidatesThe following candidatures were confirmed by the Central Committee and the party's Extraordinary Congress:
Rejected candidates
NoteReferences
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