In SYRIZA, they only saw gains after the end of the three-day debate on the no-confidence motion against the government, and it is these gains that they will seek to capitalize on in the June 9 European elections by increasing their percentages.
The echo of what was said in the Parliament from Tuesday afternoon to Thursday evening, as well as the swearing-in of Stefanos Kasselakis combined with the birthday dinner in Thebes, left aside the announcement by Koumoundourou of the first, many, candidates in the preliminary round for the European ballot. Few paid attention to the names and profiles of most of those who expressed their desire through the special platform to fight within the party on April 14 to secure a place on the final list to be announced by SYRIZA before the final mass.
The evaluation made by the president of the party and his associates of those who expressed interest led to the first and basic selection.
The “tenants” of Koumoundourou
Of course they belong to her top party officials, on which the leading team of Koumoundourou is betting a lot. Some were certain that they would go down in the process and others kept secret papers.
It was said that Dora Avgeri had resigned as the party’s press representative to devote herself to the pre-election campaign. It just remained to be ascertained whether she will be among the persons who will be automatically selected by the party president or whether she will also enter the internal party battle. The first version was valid.
Also known was the participation of the MP Giorgos Tsipras, who had left the position of the director of the Parliamentary Group handing over the baton to Thanos Moraitis. As well as European Policy advisor, Kefalonian lawyer and professor at the University of Piraeus Nikolas Faradouris (who on Thursday was targeted by Mr. Mitsotakis and responded).
At the same time, Evangelos Antonaros (from Karamanli), candidate for parliament in Eastern Attica (6,846 crosses) last year, had informed two weeks ago that “I want to be present in this effort”. And in the end it will be, as it was verified.
Along with the above, the former Kastoria MP and active member of the Political Secretariat Olympia Teligioridouwho has strongly supported Stefanos Kasselakis, but also Panagiotis Kouroumplis. The former MP from Etoloakarnania had tried to win a seat in the European Parliament in 2019 as well, but without success, being the first runner-up as seventh in votes.
And the Eleni AvlonitouMP in the four-year term 2015-19 and member of the Central Committee, naturally belongs to the same group of executives who come from the faction’s apartment building.
As for the Myrto Korovesis, belongs to the new generation of SYRIZA politicians, representing the Youth. In the double national elections of 2023, the 26-year-old lawyer contested for a parliamentary seat, managing to come fourth in Eastern Attica (8,183 votes), while in the self-governing elections she was included in the combination of regional governor candidate Giorgos Ioakeimidis and emerged first in crosses in Eastern Attica (3,946) regardless final outcome. In other words, she does not lack dynamics.
Anna Vagena and the rest of the cast
From the side of Anna Vagena-Kilaidonis she steps on two boats, as well as a well-known actress, she has a long career in acting and was a SYRIZA member of parliament for eight years (2015-2023) having previously been deleted from PaSoK during the period of the memorandums.
About the same amount, but without parliamentary experience, the actor Marios Athanasiou, who had tried his hand at the national elections and, although he was not elected in the Northern Sector of Athens, he collected a five-digit number of crosses (10,985). A number that did not go unnoticed, especially after it brought him above party officials with a heavy past, securing him a “second chance” for the European Parliament.
From the “board” and o Christos Mantakasknown mainly for his TV appearances in popular TV series (Fifty-Fifty, Kafe tis Haras, etc.), while Thessalonikios Evdokimos Tsolakidis reflects a wider range of theater as an actor director and acting teacher.
Wind in the sails with Bekatorou
Among the surprises of the list was admittedly the involvement in its qualifying round Sophia Bekatorou. The sailing Olympic champion was the one who, with her revelation of what she had experienced as an athlete, courageously pioneered the spread of the Greek #metoo, acting as a driving force for all those women who had been abused in any way but were afraid to express themselves.
On the contrary, the former international basketball player Nikos Pappas, who was not chosen for the mayoral candidacy in Athens despite his wish, had taken care to make it known that he would enter this election race as a collaborator with the party. With chances, he is estimated to attract enough votes from the fan movement, as long as the former referee does not charge him with a foul or step violation Panagiotis Anastopoulos which also belongs to the candidates from the field of sports and especially basketball courts.
Information and entertainment
Journalism is present in all this, of course. The “fourth power” is represented on the one hand by Jambazi giftswife of the tae kwon do Olympic champion Alexandros Nikolaidis, who in recent months had taken on the role of scientific advisor to SYRIZA after her honorable presence on the State ballot under Alexis Tsipras, on the one hand the parliamentary editor of ERT, Lampro Panagiotou.
And because television also has an entertainment aspect, the -winner in 2011 of the music competition Greek Idol 2- singer and composer Panagiotis Tsakalakos will co-exist in the qualifier with the two-time participant in survival television productions and once, as a winner in a singing show, the businessman Nasos Papargyropoulos.
The other Kasselakis and the Italian
In the list of 151 that was made public, of course, there are less prominent or well-known candidates. From these it was certain that it would arouse interest the second Kasselakis of SYRIZA. His first name is Vassilis, and he is a doctor by profession, like his co-named Stefanos last fall, he will want to surprise all his other co-candidates and win an internal party battle.
Close to him and Gian Andrea Paolo Garacini originally from Milan, Italy, who lives permanently in Crete. In the recent past, he was deputy mayor of Tourism in Heraklion and also president of the local Rotary Club.
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