SYRIZA: Return to extreme polarization

Later from a long period of intra-party turmoil, SYRIZA is aiming its arrows at the government side – capitalizing on a polarizing recipe on the way to this summer’s Euro-election and re-creating an informal bra de fer between Koumoundourou and Megaros Maximou.

The first occasion was the statements of the former basketball player and pending candidate for the European Parliament, Nikos Pappas, who was successful with harsh characterizations towards the government (Mega), with references to a “government of murderers”, “hangmen” and “rape of democracy due to eavesdropping”. The second was the reference by the MEP of the party, Costas Arvanitis, that in the condemnation resolution for Greece approved by the European Parliament, he was the one who had written the article about cutting funds in the event of the country’s non-compliance: “They shouted at the government that we are anti-Greek and how is it possible to do it and we voted for it. I inform them that we have already written it,” said the MEP of the official opposition (Open). “Not the MEPs, the MEP, I wrote it” he commented.

Regarding Pappa’s statements, the answer came from Piraeus, which noted in its statement that “polarization is a dominant trend in SYRIZA” and called on Stefanos Kasselakis to condemn the statements – in Koumoundourou, however, the issue was not discussed at the Executive meeting Office, while Pappas does not seem inclined to not participate in the preliminary process for the nomination of the Eurolist. There was condemnation, however, from Kilkis MP Petrou Pappa: “I believe that these extreme statements do not help in any way. And in any case, this rhetoric is not the rhetoric that SYRIZA of the new era wants and will have,” he commented. Arvanitis’ statements were denounced by Pavlos Marinakis, speaking at the political editors’ briefing: “Kostas Arvanitis cynically admitted his participation, he admitted it proudly (…) A Greek MEP was elected by the vote of the Greek citizens to slander his country and make resolutions which will block the country’s money”.

The SYRIZA MEP, however, a little while later in a new announcement spoke of his “contribution” to the resolution and of a “deplorable mud campaign to cover the very embarrassing blue news of Brussels”, speaking of ignorance on the part of the government “still and in the elementary processes of co-configuration of texts”.

The discussion opened by these two interventions, however, would mean the return to a more normal opposition situation for SYRIZA, if it were not for the suspension of the party’s general manager, Thymios Georgopoulos, whose main issue was the loan of Stefanos Kasselakis to the Left Media, in order to pay the gifts and salaries of the employees. According to Georgopoulos, the loan was not used and was returned on January 4, while he had stated categorically against the possibility of the party borrowing.

“He exceeded all limits of lies and malice,” commented Koumoundourou, explaining that the company that gave the loan is not offshore, that part of the loan was used to pay part of the Christmas gift and the rest was paid an hour and a half before the payroll was due. His removal is characterized, in the same response, as “absolutely necessary”, while it is noted that Kasselakis is expected to appeal to the Court for defamation and that Georgopoulos is being referred to the Ethics Committee.

Earlier, at the meeting of the Executive Office, it was also decided to hold an open event on March 12 on the European strategy of SYRIZA, with a speech by its president.