ATHENS, Greece — Stefanos Kasselakis, a businessman who made his mark in Greek politics just over a year ago, announced his departure from the leftist party Syriza, which he had formerly led. Instead, he plans to establish a new political entity.
Kasselakis’s announcement came after a two-day party congress opted not to consider his candidacy for leadership in an upcoming election scheduled for later this month. This decision signals a significant shift in the party dynamics as Kasselakis, who is 36 years old, has primarily lived in the United States before entering the political arena in Greece in May 2023.
His foray into politics coincided with Syriza’s disappointing electoral outcomes in May and June 2023, where the party faced considerable challenges. Kasselakis entered the leadership race to succeed long-time head Alexis Tsipras and secured the position in September 2023.
After Kasselakis’s rise, tensions grew within Syriza when his main rival and several supporters broke away in December 2023, forming a splinter group called New Left. Many of Kasselakis’s initial supporters began to turn against him, expressing frustrations over what they perceived as his lack of true leftist ideals. His leadership style, characterized by confrontation and a disregard for established party structures, did not help solidify his support.
In a further escalation, Syriza’s central committee voted to remove Kasselakis from his position through a no-confidence motion in September. While he challenged the legitimacy of this vote and intended to participate in the leadership contest, the committee prevented him from moving forward.
Additionally, Kasselakis was joined in his departure by four lawmakers who left the party during the weekend. This development has left Syriza with 31 lawmakers in the 300-member Greek parliament, positioning them on par with the socialist PASOK party.
Under Tsipras’s leadership, Syriza held power in Greece from 2015 to 2019. Recent opinion polls suggest that support for the party has dwindled to single digits, highlighting the ongoing challenges it faces in the current political landscape.