Following a majority vote by members of the main opposition SYRIZA party’s central committee to oust its leader Stefanos Kasselakis, during a secret ballot last Sunday, the former Goldman Sachs junior trader appears to be mulling his next moves with his closest aides from his holiday home on the upscale island of Spetses.
The leftist party’s political secretariat on Tuesday decided to hold a wide-ranging party conference from November 1 through November 3, with yet another internal party election tentatively set for Nov. 24, and with a possible second round for December 1.
According to reports, the former SYRIZA leader is counting his friends and foes, gauging the rapid developments to plan his countermove with his close associates.
Reports suggest Kasselakis is measuring his support across the country from the party’s grassroots, political think tanks and allies to determine the extent of their displeasure over his abrupt ouster through what critics called a “coup-like” process. The local SYRIZA organization in the first election district of Athens has already issued a resolution backing him, deriding his dismissal as “unprecedented” in Greek politics after the restoration of democracy in 1974.
The now ex-SYRIZA president appears to be ready to respond to intra-party critics, sooner than later, especially in the wake of the party’s decision to hold nationwide elections, as he will reportedly divulge his intentions.
Individuals among his close circle have dispelled recent rumors that he is ready to withdraw from the political scene, claiming his final announcements will significantly influence the moves of other “players” planning to enter the presidential race.
Polling companies are already beginning to survey whom the public considers the most suitable leader for SYRIZA. An opinion poll by GPO for Star Channel recorded that Alexis Tsipras is considered the most suitable leader of SYRIZA, taking 42.8% of respondents’ preferences. In second place, with a considerable gap, is Kasselakis at 17.9%. Socrates Famellos is in third place with 13.7%, followed by Pavlos Polakis with 7.4%, Olga Gerovassili with 4.7%, Nikolas Farantouris with 2.3%, and Apostolos Gletsos with 1.2%.
