A meeting of the Central Committee of SYRIZA is being held in a tense atmosphere, following references by party president Socrates Famellos to the initiative of Alexis Tsipras and the Greek Left Co-party.
Famellos’ statement, who said SYRIZA supports the former prime minister’s initiative, provoked reactions within the party. Executives such as Pavlos Polakis, Nikos Pappas and Rena Dourou expressed their reservations, tabling an amendment entitled “No to self-dissolution – Yes to coordinated partnerships”.
The text was co-signed by six members of the Political Secretariat, who categorically reject any scenario of dissolution or suspension of the party’s operation. As they argue, SYRIZA must be present in the next elections as an organised political party and not through individual agreements or movements of executives.
At the same time, they propose a specific roadmap for the reconstruction of the party and the confrontation of the political and demographic retreat. In this context, they call for contacts with persons and political bodies of the broader progressive space, including Alexis Tsipras, Nikos Kotzias, Louka Katseli and the New Left.
Among their proposals are the establishment of an Executive Bureau, a programme committee, a ballot paper and enlargement committee, and an election organising committee, with the aim of better preparing the party for the next political developments.
At the same time, eight members of the Central Committee tabled a separate amendment calling for accelerating dialogue with progressive forces and exploring the conditions for electoral cooperation on the basis of programmatic convergences. Their proposal also includes starting a consultation with Alexis Tsipras’ Greek Left Coalition, which they say they approach in a spirit of comradeship.
For his part, Socrates Famellos argued that the establishment of the Greek Left Coalition creates new data in the progressive space and should not be treated as a competitive move. He stressed that a broader cooperation of progressive and democratic forces can form the basis for a credible alternative to the government.
The SYRIZA president also noted that the reconstitution of the progressive space is already underway and that SYRIZA must play a leading role in this process. At the same time, he assessed that the party’s participation in a broader project is a response to the scenarios of its weakening or dissolution.
The group around Pavlos Polakis, which is collecting signatures in favour of a different roadmap, also intervened in the meeting. In a relevant text signed by 37 executives, it is stressed that the aim is to preserve the political independence of SYRIZA and its participation in a unified electoral list of progressive forces as an autonomous party.
These executives argue that, if the formation of a unified coalition is not possible, SYRIZA should run in the elections together with political forces and individuals who share the need for progressive solidarity. At the same time, they criticise executives and MPs who, they say, appear to be oriented towards other political formations.
