Greece's opposition Syriza party splits as several prominent members defect

Greece’s main Opposition party suffered a split on November 12 when a left-wing faction announced it was breaking away, accusing the party’s recently elected leader of abandoning its core ideology for a sort of “right-wing populism.” Umbrella, a faction led by Euclid Tsakalotos, a former Finance Minister during Syriza’s government of 2015-19, announced its departure with a blistering statement that accused party leader Stefanos Kasselakis of “Trumpian practices (and) right-leaning populism.”

Greece's main Opposition party suffered a split on November 12 when a left-wing faction announced it was breaking away, accusing the party's recently elected leader of abandoning its core ideology for a sort of “right-wing populism."

Umbrella, a faction led by Euclid Tsakalotos, a former Finance Minister during Syriza's government of 2015-19, announced its departure with a blistering statement that accused party leader Stefanos Kasselakis of “Trumpian practices (and) right-leaning populism." The once-dominant party has been in disarray ever since its resounding defeat by conservative New Democracy in double elections in May and June.

Already in opposition since 2019, Syriza had hoped to regain power. Instead, it was roundly disavowed, falling in the most recent election to 17.8%, compared to New Democracy's 40.6%, a result that led long-time leader Alexis Tsipras to announce his resignation.

The split, which came after weeks of withering criticism of the leader from within the party, became inevitable in recent days, when Mr. Kasselakis insisted he wanted to expel three prominent members of the Umbrella faction, all former Ministers.

When it became clear he might not get his way with party organs, Mr. Kasselakis said he would put the question to a referendum among party members.

This proposal drew a rebuke even among his allies. In a tumultuous session of the party's Central Committee on Saturday, Mr. Kasselakis' confrontational speech was often interrupted with boos and shouts of “shame!” Umbrella, as well as supporters of Effie Achtsioglou, Mr. Kasselakis' main rival in last September's leadership election, left before the session was over.

Mr. Kasselakis won the leadership election that followed Syriza's defeat at the polls in September. A political neophyte and U.S. resident, with no connection to the party before he became a candidate for the May election, he came out of nowhere to win the contest. A four-minute video in which he told his life story shot him to prominence and made him the favourite.