SYRIZA, Greece’s main opposition party, loses its status as such, following the departure of yet two more of its Members of Parliament on Thursday, Nov 21.
MPs Theodora Tzakri and Giota Poulou announced their departure from SYRIZA, triggering new political developments, changing the parliamentary landscape at the same time.
The two MPs announced their intention to officially leave SYRIZA’s parliamentary group in the letters they submitted to the President of the Greek Parliament, Kostas Tasoulas, declaring their decision to become independent.
As a result, PASOK, which held the third position until Thursday, will now assume the role of the main opposition party, as it holds more MPs. SYRIZA now holds 29 seats in Parliament, while PASOK has 31, thus becoming the second-largest party in the legislature.
Earlier, Theodora Tzakri had hinted at these developments, stating she would attend the announcement of former SYRIZA’s President, Stefanos Kasselakis’ new party on Saturday. Giota Poulou had also previously indicated her intention to leave the party.
It should be noted that after SYRIZA’s turbulent congress and Stefanos Kasselakis’ exit from the party, four other MPs had declared their independence from the leftist political party.
After her departure from SYRIZA, MP Theodora Tzakri stated that the party is under the control of bureaucrats and internal factions.
She further emphasized that self-appointed guardians have already stripped the party of its role as the main opposition, while expressing optimism that “something more democratic and participatory” will take the place of a party that has reached the end of its cycle.
