“I distinguish the four nominations from that of Mr. Kasselakis. I consider that the candidacy of Mr. Kasselakis, if it is ultimately the winning one, is a “blind date” for SYRIZA”, pointed out the member of the Political Secretariat of SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance, Panos Skourletis.
Here are highlights from his interview (alpha 989):
Everyone is talking about increased participation and that is something that cannot be overlooked. Of course, I repeat that this participation has an element in it that should trouble someone. Many thousands of people, almost 27%-28%, signed up for the party yesterday and I don’t know if it will be the same tomorrow. I say this because I, for example, saw in my area people who publicly, even now, support other opposition parties and came to vote with the logic that “I am an active citizen, I care who will be the leader of the official opposition and I came to influence it.” Tomorrow they will be elsewhere. These are the structural problems of a constitution that was passed last year in May and which, in my opinion, liquidates the political process and the concept of the party. I didn’t discover this now, I said it last year at the conference.
It matters what the result will be, because not all faces are the same. I distinguish the four nominations from that of Mr. Kasselakis. I consider that the candidacy of Mr. Kasselakis, if he is finally the winner, is a “blind date” for SYRIZA the next day, because we do not know him. Because he didn’t run a political campaign. Because it has elements of metapolitics. Because we saw image and communication work at the expense of a clear content. I feel the need to say this publicly and I think that any election of him introduces SYRIZA to an uncertain day ahead. In “uncharted waters”.
The choices are not neutral. Although I think all five candidates presented what they each had to present with dignity, there was a very toxic and divisive atmosphere underneath. I remind you that some campaigned saying that Efi Ahtsioglou led Tsipras to resign and that she had sent him an SMS to leave. This affected people. These elements have undermined the next day in fact and I did not see everyone condemning them. On the contrary, I also saw executives who support Mr. Kasselakis, come out and make mocking comments.
With the percentage that Mr. Kasselakis got, he obviously goes with the best conditions in the second round, but the world will judge. I will also give you a parameter that has not been mentioned. About 40,000 members, already registered, did not come to this process. Of those who had signed up to the party up to a month ago. This, first of all, is a big political issue. This world may be gone. He may have voted for other parties in the parliamentary elections. He may be disappointed. Some may have had a problem. They have the possibility to vote in the second election. It is not possible to write new ones.
