A “nail” was in store for him Stefanos Kasselakis the Olga Gerovasili just twenty-four hours after the April 21st anniversary. “To deal with the Far Right, we need to talk about democracy, equality, solidarity and peace” he said, indirectly responding to Stefanos Kasselakis and his choice to support the triptych “homeland, religion, family”.
The president of SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, however, consciously chose to do so in the logic of reinterpreting the terms and “reclaiming” them from the Right and the Far Right. In this context, his reference was also included that: “The robbery of patriotism, faith and family by the Right ends here. The division of Greeks from the Right ends here.”
The movements in the ND stadium are annoying
As can be seen from the wider discussions in his political and communication staff, which was recently joined by Aris Spiliotopouloshis former close associate Costas Karamanlis, the president of SYRIZA has in mind to win from the “blue” agenda, moving in the field of ND. And this is highlighted by a series of moves that alienate many in SYRIZA – PS, disturb, or seem out of place with the history of the party and the Left in general.
However, the goal of the new leadership is the creation of a multi-collegiate party of the so-called “social average”, terminology embraced by Ar. Spiliotopoulos, but which will have references both to the right and to the left of the political spectrum.
Positions and opinions that create surprise
At the same time that Mr. Kasselakis goes and lays, like on Holy Wednesday, a wreath at the monument of the Shooting Range of Kaisariani, for the communists executed by the Nazis on May Day 1944, he may well be thrown away and appropriate part of the right-wing agenda by giving him other communication wrapper.
He stated, for example, that he was enthusiastic and his statement about miracles at least caused embarrassment to most of the SYRIZA cadres, but not to a section of voters that Mr. Kasselakis himself is winning. Under this light, it is no coincidence that since the day of his election and especially in the last quarter, the president of SYRIZA-PS expresses opinions and positions that surprise many officials and parliamentarians.
The first cooldown came for many when he agreed to the fence on the Evros, although many of his MPs are negative. But he himself insists that it is one “useful tool”while its position in Immigration moves in the sphere of the “European issue” and the proportional distribution of immigrants and refugees among the partners and on the basis of solidarity.
Another “bump” occurred when the official opposition voted in favor of the supply of helicopters, as it remains consistent – according to the words of SYRIZA executives – to the need to strengthen our national defense. Here the lines got tangled literally, as in those days St. Kasselakis appeared much more advanced than SYRIZA was in the past.
He constantly emphasizes terms such as homeland, putting the term “patriotic Left” into the public debate, while he is also in favor of increases in the military but recently (after his term) also in the infantry.
He was positive about Greek-American cooperation on the issue of bases, although he said that “nothing is permanent in life”. The “yes” at the bases is, however, clear: “There is no problem with the bases, but let Greece have the appropriate exchanges”, which according to him are not sufficient. Here too there is a significant difference.
But the phrase that surprised many even from his current supporters in the SYRIZA-PS Parliamentary Group was his move to call NATO “sacred defense alliance” but also to emphasize the important role it plays “in regimes to our east”.
In another phase, he appeared to support the mission of the Greek frigate in the Red Sea, although before Christmas the line was different: They said to SYRIZA, it was a mission without a UN decision, that is, in violation of International Law, while it has not decided either the Parliament about it.
Others expressed objections to St.’s attitude. Kasselakis on the issue of Israel and NATO, and especially for the positive statement in favor of the Israelis right after the strike on Iran and the positive reports to the US president John Biden. There it was pointed out that it was a mistake to agree a meeting with the Jewish organization AIPAC, which is considered one of the toughest and which was finally canceled after internal reactions from SYRIZA executives.
The BSE speech on capital as a tool
In the economic field, many remember his speech to the BSE in the first days of his presidency, where he proposed the position in favor of distributing shares to employees without any mention of raises and had called capital “tool for prosperity”, without mentioning business taxation.
THE “kinetic, human, fresh”, according to the well-known communicator Yannis Loulis, St. Kasselakis, thus attempts to win over an audience that was opposite, distant or foreign to SYRIZA. In this reservoir, analysts note, there are co-existing voters who until now were far from parties, but also citizens who identified with the ND.
That is why his rhetoric to the general public, not to a party audience, is completely different from a classic left-wing politician, since it addresses a different mix of voters, which “premiums” the Koumoundourou party in the latest opinion polls.
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