New Left: The founding act, self-criticism, criticism of SYRIZA – Kasselakis –

The New Left turns from a temporary association into an official party. From the 7th to the 10th of November, the conference of the New Left will be held, which will constitute the founding act of the party. As party sources note, the goal is renewal at all levels: structures, attitudes and executive potential. As stated by Alexis Haritsisthe New Left aspires to reach out to the thousands of unaffiliated leftist and progressive citizens, creating a new beginning for the left in Greece.

The text of the positions of the New Left

The New Left, having already started its pre-conference dialogue, is proceeding with a series of open events and meetings of organizations focusing on the Text of Theses. In total, more than 150 events are planned to be held throughout Greece. Persons outside the party also participate in these pre-conference events, which proves the open nature of the process. Among the events that have taken place or are planned, those with her participation stand out Efis Ahtsioglou and his Dionysis Tebonerathe meeting of Petrou Papakonstantinou and his Kostas Papadakis with him Kosti Karpozilos in Kypseli while others are expected. Party sources say that the pre-congress process is characterized by a climate of unity, gathering and participation, showing the dynamics of the new political effort.

Criticism and self-criticism

In the Text of Theses, which forms the basis of the pre-conference dialogue, there is a discussion of criticism and self-criticism with an account of the period 2014-2024. SYRIZA is also at the forefront of criticism. As reported, the New Left emerged from the SYRIZA crisis in the fall of 2023, with the departure of MPs, executives and members who opposed the party’s symptoms of degeneration and political decline. The release from SYRIZA was considered necessary, morally imperative and strategically correct for the perspective of the Left.

The election of Kasselakis

In addition, the Text of the Positions analyzes the consequences of the election of Stefanos Kasselakis to the leadership of SYRIZA in September 2023, while the “arrows” also find the Political Secretariat of the party. His election, according to the text, did not address the root causes of the 2023 electoral collapse, but made the problems worse. The alliance formed around Kasselakis prevailed in favor of an expansion towards a vague “center” and cut off from the radical sections of society, while at the same time the toxicity and slander of those who criticized the leadership intensified.

Criticism of SYRIZA

The text lays blame on the Political Secretariat of SYRIZA, noting that it did not put in place the necessary checks and balances before accepting Kasselakis’ candidacy. His election is considered, according to the New Left, the extreme symptom of an underlying crisis in SYRIZA, while the mistake of prioritizing the election of a president before the congress is highlighted as a critical point of failure of the party.