Nikos Pappas, who served as the minister of digital policy, telecommunications, and media from November 2016 to July 2019, on Saturday announced his candidacy for the leadership of the leftist SYRIZA party. The announcement was made on the first day of the central committee’s two-day meeting, during which nominations for the party leadership will be submitted, and the timeline and roadmap for the election of a new leader will be determined.
Pappas aspires to fill the void left by Alexis Tsipras, who recently stepped down from his position. Despite being convicted earlier this year and receiving a two-year sentence with a three-year probation period for his involvement in the handling of a 2016 TV license tender during the SYRIZA-led government, Pappas appeared determined to lead the party.
Former ministers Efi Achtsioglou and Euclid Tsakalotos have already confirmed their candidacies for the leadership position. Additionally, Stefanos Tzoumakas, a former founding member and minister of the socialist PASOK party, announced his candidacy on Saturday. Tzoumakas was unsuccessful in securing a parliamentary seat in the recent June legislative elections.
In contrast, Pavlos Polakis, a former alternate health minister, on Saturday declared that he will not be running for the leadership position. Polakis criticized the entire process, labeling it a “fast-track” procedure that he believes will not be advantageous for SYRIZA.
