There is no end to the feud that has erupted between Dimitris Papanotas and Stefanos Kasselakis, on the occasion of the “expulsion” of the former from the SYRIZA European ballot paper and the comment that the party president is for… beers.
During his interview with Alpha and Antonis Stroiter, on Thursday evening (25.04.2024), Stefanos Kasselakis was asked about the statement (including a comment to a follower against him) made by Dimitris Papanotas when he was removed from the European ballot , as its president SYRIZA he is not a leader but only to go with him for beers!
“I’m a leader and I’m also for beersStefanos Kasselakis answered, with Dimitris Papanotas answering him when the matter was discussed on Happy Day. The president of SYRIZA said that he heard about what Dimitris Papanotas said and made the decision to exclude him from the European ballot based on his principles and values.
“He didn’t hear me. I think that when you need to make a decision about some things you heard, you also ask the person directly concerned. When you make a decision about a person based on things you heard, you also talk to him, you also listen to his own point of view”, said Dimitris Papanotas, obviously annoyed.
“When you are a leader in a party and not a manager in a business, you also take into account some people who voted, bothered, left a nice 35 degree Celsius Sunday and instead of going to the beach, went to a polling station and chose a person. Based on principles and values, you have to count them too.
I didn’t say “it doesn’t make for a leader, it’s for going out for beers”. Me speaking at the time of crisis, as I am also human and can say a word to two of my own people, it was a conversation with a follower and it did not concern my official statement.
But if you have head of your political office, your dad’s lawyer it doesn’t inform you well. My official position has been that I believe he is the next prime minister and his political stature is not diminished by a small wrong decision.
I put aside my bitterness for what happened, I put aside the competition between party officials, that I am an idealist of the left and believe in camaraderie, but I saw something else,” said Dimitris Papanotas.
And he continued by commenting on Stefanos Kasselakis’ “I’m a leader and for beers”: “I’m also a leader for beers” of course when you say that with an 8 month stint in civilian life, it’s a bit funny. You emerge as a leader from the world and with a course. The leader was Andreas Papandreou and Konstantinos Karamanlis.”
And he concluded: “Let’s hope this is the end of this whole series because we are all tired.”
