One of the biggest crimes within SYRIZA during the time of the left party in government was the belief that the rise and prominence in the political sphere came from an ideological and political transformation within society – Greek society. It was expected that this transformation would eventually sweep throughEurope and shift the balance of power in favor of the left.
Over time, those who chose to ignore reality were forced to willingly accept that the SYRIZA movement was largely the result of the divisive, harsh and aggressive rhetoric adopted during the debt crisis. Greece, which corresponded to the lower classes hardest hit by the economic downturn. .
Recent developments involving SYRIZA MP and former minister Pavlos Polakis do not reinforce the idea that, on the one hand, “you reap what you sow,” and on the other hand, the party’s main remaining supporters, after its decline and successive electoral defeats, are those who are drawn to, follow and imitate the hostility, the “us-against-them” mentality, and the hard position that the politician Sfakia shows.
The wave of support for Polakis after the latest controversy reflects his influence and acceptance within the party base. In fact, it was so strong that opposition leader Stefanos Kasselakis quickly apologized for his decision to expel Polakis from the parliamentary group and said he would not remove him from the party, clearly that he was not willing to risk a large part of the base that also supports him. Kasselakis himself.
It appears that Kasselakis’ original decision was not part of a deliberate effort to steer the party away from “Polakism,” but was a reactive step after an emotional reaction to fellow MP Athina Lino to Polakis’ controversial views. SYRIZA’s new leadership style is very similar, if not higher than Polakis’s rhetoric.
It seems that the hybrid arrangement that Kasselakis has designed for his mentor – “out” of Parliament but “inside” the party – is a win for both. Polakis (outside) will now be free from party restrictions to organize his own demonstrations in Parliament without SYRIZA needing to apologize for his conduct. Meanwhile, Polakis (inside), reinvigorated by the toxic and contentious social media environment, will continue to undermine Alexis Tsipras’ old guard, already suggesting they should “get themselves a jacket” in preparation for the upcoming party conference.
