Yiannis Mantzouranis, as president of the extraordinary conference of SYRIZA, invoked the American president Harry Truman while closing the curtain on the first day of work. “We were neither convinced nor confused” said the experienced lawyer and member of the KE in a rough tone through the microphone, paraphrasing the popular “if you can’t convince them, confuse them” to seal the end of Stefanos Kasselakis’ era.
On the evening of November 8, the contract was simply signed to end a strained and frayed bilateral relationship. For two months they were enemies under the same political roof. The glass was already broken from the day the motion of censure was approved in the Central Committee and the former president ended up a foreign body.
Every day that passed since then the two poles moved further and further apart. The 87 had become 100, the 100 became 163. What followed was the exclusion from the presidential race, the extrajudicial trial, the complaint of false sexual relations and so many other daily events in the bowels of a doomed coexistence.
One way or another the emergency conference would ratify the complete closure of a short 14-month cycle that had been squared off. And the angles he had acquired were completely sharp on both sides. There was no going back, the sand in the hourglass was drying up. What had preceded for eight weeks, culminating in the events of the last fortnight, left no other room for improvement.
With the foot early in… Gazi
The atmosphere in the labyrinthine “Gazi Live” of Ieras Odos 15 resembled a crash test of strength. Or when or on them. No one would faint in this final battle. The mother of battles. Everything else was unacceptable at this cutoff point.
“Our ‘freaks'” cynically observed a lady who was standing on the sidewalk when she saw a friend of hers approaching her. He did not single out one side or the other.
The crowd was from 15:00 enough and it was growing exponentially. Shortly after 4:00 p.m. it had reached the hundreds. The sidewalks were occupied by people and luggage. Buses were also arriving. There were about 500 initially. A taxi driver slammed on his brakes, stopped before the two lanes were blocked, and jokingly asked: “Is PaSoK here?” “The old PaSoK” replied the present.
“Did any of these 87 pass?”
The pre-2023 SYRIZA staff, the protest and the government, wanted to get rid of Stefanos Kasselakis at all costs. That’s why she would exploit his vulnerabilities, exposing him in every situation. It is true that the majority of those gathered did not agree with the plan.
“Did any of these 87 pass?” asked a woman who was waiting for the conference participation sms. Koumoundourou herself confirmed that the process had been delayed. Kasselakis had not received either, possibly because of a foreign number. Some were outraged, waiting for the notification. “I’m going to ‘retire’ after 35 years in racing with what’s going on” remarked a middle-aged man. The end was near.
Most of the attendees’ discussions revolved around “bans” and “cuts” of delegates. “Don’t come near me, you might get infected” playfully said a member from NE Fokida who had not received approval in its entirety because he did not follow the instructions of the CEEC. “We are here for our ideas. We are not different from Olga and Famello” said another.
Kasselakis came, saw and left with a new party
The invitation to the army by Stefanos Kasselakis had taken place, but the result did not change in practice. He himself appeared twice, walked among 2000 people, deified himself with slogans and revolutionary hymns, made statements about “VIPs and scum” and retired to his headquarters to build his own party.
At the same time, in one of the entrances, fainting, fistfights and wrestling grips were taking place. The situation had gotten wild. Both high-ranking executives and journalists were attacked.
Correspondingly, in the hall of the multi-purpose hall, the speakers, mainly the secretary Rania Svigou and Nikos Pappas, heard a barrage of insults from delegates who sided with the former president. Under their shouts and screams, Rallia Christidou, determined to leave, disapproved of the presidency, pointing the finger at the seat.
The president of SYRIZA’s KO almost burned his vocal chords condemning “organized thuggery”, “wretchedness” and “disrespect towards our history”. Some of the mountain positions attempted a skirmish descent, seeking to approach the platform.
The majority of the ground floor repelled them with their own slogans, before security people intervened to restore order in time and for Pavlos Polakis, Sokratis Famellos and Nikolas Faradouris to speak without interruption. On the other hand, Apostolos Gletsos, who alphabetically took the stage first as a presidential candidate, did not manage to escape.
“A good actor of your word” was heard from above, “come let me give you an autograph” he answered soberly.
SYRIZA cut the umbilical cord with Kasselakis
Anyway, St. Kasselakis was not willing to go inside. His mind was elsewhere. It was done instead by Petros Pappas, who inspected the site without giving approval. Theodora Tzakri did it, before coming into confrontation with G. Mantzouraki for the famous USB. It was done by Thanos Moraitis and Evangelos Antonaros who were wildly pushing each other with security people.
It was clear that the process would proceed without the 36-year-old politician present, even if his accreditation came out in the interim.
Rumors of him leaving SYRIZA and founding a new party circulated in a nanosecond. From one to another, the “I don’t want to be part of the problem” and the foreshadowing “for the most independent, ground-breaking, progressive movement” reached the front-line delegates.
Ironic sneers and caustic comments confirmed everything they had argued for the previous period about the preparations and the red carpet to the heroic exit. Some celebrated the end of all this heartbreak when the withdrawal was announced. “Good luck” Nick wished. Faradouris.
Of course, St. takes many with him. Kasselakis. It takes MPs (Petr. Pappas, Avlonitis, Christidou), it takes executives, it takes voters, it takes expertise, it takes the reputation it has earned. This is the third split in his days, only now he is leaving.
SYRIZA is turning the page, Kasselakis is on his way
But the wounds are inevitable at the end of such a relentless battle that began eight months ago, at the previous congress, and swelled immediately after the European elections. As an inevitable result of further downsizing and various public placements.
The extraordinary congress will continue on Saturday (9/11), but SYRIZA, as hurt as it is, is turning the page. Whichever of the four candidates was approved with 90.6% of those present (2784 votes out of 3072 delegates who voted) wins the battle. Just as Stefanos Kasselakis is finally taking the path he has wanted for a long time: to lead a faction setting his own terms.
After all, Harry Truman used to say: “I never sit on a fence, I’m either on one side or the other.”
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