SYRIZA approves proposal for alignment with Tsipras' Hellenic Left Cooperation

SYRIZA's Central Committee has officially approved a proposal by Sokratis Famellos for the party to align with Alexis Tsipras' Hellenic Left Cooperation (EL.AS.). The decision, passed with 70% of the vote, signals a significant shift in the party's political direction and aims to foster unity ahead of future elections.

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There is no room for a plan B.

The vote took place amidst a tense committee meeting, but the prevailing sentiment favored aligning the party's future with that of its former leader and prime minister, Alexis Tsipras. The resolution stipulates that SYRIZA will not oppose EL.AS. in the upcoming national elections, a move intended to consolidate the left-wing vote.

However, the decision was not unanimous. Key figures such as Nikos Pappas, Pavlos Polakis, and Rena Dourou, along with three other party officials, submitted a joint amendment expressing concerns. They rejected scenarios of the party's "self-dissolution" and called for institutional examination of cooperation possibilities with Tsipras, Nikos Kotzias, Louka Katseli, and the New Left party, advocating for immediate dialogue.

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We remain in SYRIZA, we will monitor the implementation, we are not giving SYRIZA away to anyone and we expect to see those who have declared that they will go to Alexis Tsipras' party either MPs or members of the Central Committee to do so in the immediate next period.

Famellos, in his response, rejected the submitted amendments, asserting that their core substance was already incorporated into the main decision. He emphasized that "there is no room for a plan B," as the party possesses both a roadmap and a programmatic framework. He questioned the rationale behind revisiting a plan rejected in March and highlighted that the amendment raised questions about party leadership, lacking a solid foundation.

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The struggle continues, it has not ended, SYRIZA will continue to exist and recall the 'first time left' that some wish to forget.

Despite the amendment's rejection, it garnered over 40% of the Central Committee's support. Pavlos Polakis commented that "we remain in SYRIZA, we will monitor the implementation, we are not giving SYRIZA away to anyone." He expressed anticipation for those who declared their intention to join Alexis Tsipras' party to do so, stating, "The struggle continues, it has not ended, SYRIZA will continue to exist and recall the 'first time left' that some wish to forget." Polakis later added, "And we will not let it close."

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And we will not let it close.