Nikolas Farandouris will not be absent from the battle for the election of a new leader in SYRIZA. He hesitated quite a bit, it is true, after the proceedings were announced, thinking that it was not the most appropriate time to get involved. Nevertheless, he succumbed to pressure from executives to expand the nominations and announced that he would be “present”.
His slogan “SYRIZA forward”
“With a sense of responsibility and faith in our values and principles, I submit my candidacy for the position of the president of SYRIZA” said Nicolas Faradouris in the two-minute video that accompanied his post.
“SYRIZA today needs to move forward,” he continued, explaining that “the great democratic, progressive faction has only one path to follow: Forward. With the citizens for the citizens. With all of you.”
According to the Kefalonian MEP himself, “forward means we work hard for our values and ideals. In front means we convince with actions and bring back to us those we were bitter about. We are recapturing the power and extroversion of a modern, left-wing, green European party. We all work, the top and the organs of the party, with unity, camaraderie, solidarity.”
“This is what our base demands, this is what society demands, SYRIZA forward” as he pointed out afterwards, as “SYRIZA with an eye forward can guarantee democracy, social justice, dignity at work and the abolition of inequalities”.
“Left efficient, extroverted, with initiatives and prestige”
“So I submit my candidacy for the position of president of SYRIZA-PS. With vision, with faith, with respect and love for all my fellow candidates. I believe in our party. But above all, I believe in my country and my people, I believe in the great, popular European faction of progress, in the Left of human rights, social cohesion, peace, the defense of national interests. In an effective Left, full of extroversion and self-confidence, the one that kept the country upright in the darkest periods” he added, providing clarifications on the brand of the political direction he seeks.
“All of them together, workers, small and medium-sized businesses, freelancers, farmers, students. Together we can all succeed”, Nikolas Faradouris further asserted, setting the goal “to make dreams come true. To release the creativity of the Greeks, our friends and our members. To proceed with the regional formation and completion of the transformation of our party into a large democratic, progressive faction from the Left to the progressive center. A patriotic Left with self-confidence with extroversion, with initiatives, with international prestige, with a European presence at the center of decision-making. Which will inspire respect in the opponents and enthusiasm in the citizens”.
For him alone this is the way to “lead a victorious electoral march of the progressive democratic forces with SYRIZA at the front”.
Here we go. With a sense of responsibility and faith in our values and principles, I submit my candidacy for the position of president of the SYRIZA Progressive Alliance.
SYRIZA in front.#Syriza_Mprosta pic.twitter.com/q2LQneBjep
— Nikolas Farantouris (@NFarantouris) October 1, 2024
“Even 2% to receive…”
Character of mild tones and always unifying moods, the SYRIZA MEP (and professor of European Law) has not identified with any of the trends within Koumoundouros. Due to the increased responsibilities he recently assumed in the EU, he intended to devote himself exclusively to them. Ultimately, however, he decided that at this juncture, another rallying voice would at least be beneficial.
For him, it is equally important that the faction comes out victorious and not divided by this whole situation. As he typically said to people around him, “even if I get 2% in the elections, it is not going to affect to any extent the mission I have undertaken in the European Parliament”.
Who is Nikolas Faradouris?
Nikolas Farandouris is Professor of European Law & Energy Law at the Department of International & European Studies at the University of Piraeus. Holder of the Jean Monnet European Chair. Lawyer at the Supreme Court. Graduated from the Athens Law School. Doctor of Laws, University of Oxford. He has 25 years of academic and professional experience with positions of responsibility in the private and public sector.
In the period 2009-2019 he was a member of the Board of Directors, Legal Advisor and President of DEPA, while in the period 2016-2019 he was elected President of the legal committee of EUROGAS, the association of 45 energy companies in Europe.
In the European elections of June 9, he received more than 140,000 votes (141,216) and was elected a member of the European Parliament and joined the Eurogroup of the Left.
He became a member of the Parliamentary Committees on Budgets, Environment & Public Health and Constitutional Affairs. He is a member of the EU-US Interparliamentary Delegation and a Board Member of the Spinelli Group.
He is married and the father of three children.
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