Rapid self-criticism from Tsipras and complaints to the Central Committee – The background

In his speech to the Central Committee, the president of SYRIZA-PS, Alexis Tsipras, described the main goal of reversing Sunday’s shock defeat and preventing the omnipotence of Mitsotakis, who also made a first self-criticism and drew the line ahead of the next elections .

The SYRIZA president took responsibility for the defeat and added that he will not hide and lead the electoral battle as the responsibility is greater for the regrouping and the battle ahead. Referred to three main reasons of the defeat, he underlined the need for a change of image and noted that SYRIZA will not raise the gauntlet to PASOK and KKE.

He explained that SYRIZA was and will remain a party of power and made it clear that in the June 25 elections “we are going to win, not lose”.

As iefimerida.gr wrote yesterday, in essence it was an express Central Committee, which was exhausted only in Al’s speech. Tsipras in the SYRIZA Central Committee and it ended with… abbreviated procedures, without any delegate speaking, as suggested by the Executive Office. At the proposal of the secretary Rania Svigou, the body decided to close the work, despite the contrary suggestion of Nikos Voutsis. A fact that caused the reaction of the 53+ group, who were informed just 5 minutes before that there would be no speeches.

Tsipras sounded the alarm after the defeat

The members of the Central Committee stood and received Mr. Tsipras with a prolonged applause, who, starting almost two hours late with his speech, said: “After three days of grief and reflection, it is time to declare an end to mourning and mark battle alert. This is our responsibility today: To regroup immediately. Now. Without any delay. And let’s fight. We have no right to resign. We have no right to introversion.”

Mr. Tsipras noted that the initiative for the second election “belongs to our main political opponent. Where his plans are obvious, he does not hide them: To gain not self-reliance, but omnipotence. Which will allow him to even proceed with changes to the Constitution in a conservative direction. And if given the chance to not even have an opponent. To get rid of SYRIZA. Which is the only political opponent who can prevent him and fight to defend the welfare state, public health, education, labor rights”.

He addressed his executives saying that “However, we have no right to introversion. We have no right to intemperance and confrontations. Which even now, today, after the election result, some comrades do not avoid. And all they show is that we have not understood anything from the message of the popular verdict”. And he emphasized: “At this time, we need the greatest concentration, and I would say modesty, in front of the people’s vote. And not the repetition of behaviors that cost us dearly.”

Mr. Tsipras said that the overall assessment will be done after June 25 since now it is important to “Correct our strategy on the fly. And let’s correct ourselves on the fly. To change our campaign. To become more collective in our work. More comradely and more united with each other.”

He said that it should be investigated why the society’s messages were not perceived. “According to the exit polls, on the last day about 20% of the voters decided what they will vote for. 1,206,000 voters. Of these, 618,000 chose ND. And only 156,000 for SYRIZA. That is, the undecided, instead of voting as we expected and as usually happens, with the criterion of dissatisfaction with the government, finally voted the other way around. With the fear that the opposition will not come” he said and raised the question: “Why did this happen? And why did a large number of those who trusted us in 2019 not trust us in 2023?”

The three causes of defeat

Mr. Tsipras presented three main, in his estimation, causes of the election result:

“THE first reason, in my view, is that the ND has managed to impose its agenda. The agenda of fear. And thus support the stability-change dipole, as the majority trend of her own narrative. Let’s not change because things can get worse. And he managed to do this by constantly exploiting our own mistakes.”

He noted that “it has been proven that the media superweapon can play a decisive role in enforcing the pre-election agenda. And, of course, minor opposition parties, which had their main front against SYRIZA, also contributed to this.”

THE second cause, Al said. Tsipras “was the forced choice to defend the strategy of simple proportionality and the government of progressive cooperation. The election result was a strategic defeat of simple proportionality and at the same time a defeat of our strategy for simple proportionality. This was the strategic rift through which the narrative of stability passed. The continuous refusal of the progressive forces gave the image of an unrealistic and therefore unreliable proposal of governance.

THE Tuesday the reason, Mr. Tsipras continued, is “our image as a party, as a collective subject, for a long time. But especially in the critical days before the ballot box. It was not an image that radiated cohesion, responsibility, organization.” “The misplaced public positions, even in the last days before the elections, the backbiting, the lack of responsibility, even understanding how suspicious the electorate was towards us, how fluid and changeable, cost us dearly,” he stressed.

“We have to change”

Then he said categorically “We have to change this image. We have to change. Drastic. Radical. Immediately” and called on its executives to “Organize our presence in the new election in a coordinated manner from today. To reorganize the central election committee and the election committees throughout the country. To come to an election campaign that will take into account the new data. And to guarantee at the same time with our attitude, deed and word our own change and renewal. That we have received the message and are actually correcting our failures and mistakes.”

Mr. Tsipras underlined the need to change the correlation, noting that the election result is not only negative for SYRIZA and explained: “If this correlation is repeated in the enhanced proportional ballot box, we will have an absolutely omnipotent and uncontrollable government. Blank check to a faction that does not hide its intentions. Suffocation and abnormality in the functioning of democracy. An uncontrollable ruling prime minister. A now legitimized agenda of sweeping changes for social rights. The “reforms” announced by Mr. Mitsotakis since Sunday evening. The change of the Constitution, announced by Adonis Georgiadis. We can all imagine in which direction. In the direction of privatization everywhere. Even in health. Even in the water. And in the direction of the defiant exploitation without any control and account, of the approximately 70 billion of community resources and the Recovery & Resilience Fund, for the benefit of the powerful only”.

We don’t get into small-party civil wars

Mr. Tsipras underlined that “we must do everything in our power to overturn this correlation” and added: “This means that our front, even in the new conditions, is the Right and its politics. Its economic policy, its social policy”.

He then referred to the relations with the other parties of the Center-Left: “We are not going to pick up the gauntlet thrown at us by both PASOK and the KKE. We in small-party civil society, who favor only the Right, are not going to contribute and get involved. But this does not mean that we will turn the other cheek to the attacks. Nor that judging by everyone’s attitude towards the Right, we will suffer our criticism”.

He blamed the other parties as well: “For the ND’s dominance in the elections, we are not the only ones to blame. We are simply the only ones who have the courage to undertake them. Those who gave it a chance with a divisive and one-sided policy against SYRIZA also bear heavy responsibility. And they insist on it. We will respond politically to the attacks, but we PASOK and the KKE will not have a goal. What is needed, and what is required, is the broadest possible rallying of democratic and progressive citizens to prevent these power relations at the next polls. What is needed is a democratic pan-army to strengthen the progressive faction, against a Right that, if not prevented in the second ballot, will be uncontrollable and vindictive.”

He then addressed the citizens: “All democratic and progressive citizens, voters of all parties, who do not want to give a blank check to a ruler prime minister, who do not want an invasion of democratic and people’s rights and conquests, even those constitutionally guaranteed , they must contribute with their vote, so that the possibility of an all-powerful and uncontrollable Right-wing government is put in a ditch.”

Let’s go face off with the Right

On the morning of Sunday, June 25, the polls will be empty, Mr. Tsipras said and added: “We do not fly in the clouds, we recognize the difficulties, we respect the result, but in this race we will not go to lose. We will not go to keep our seats. To have a strong opposition. We are going to face the Right. We will also go this way, because – I don’t know if everyone has solidified it – SYRIZA PS is and will remain a party of power, not a party of protest. Not a party supplement to governments of the Right. SYRIZA PS is the main exponent of the progressive faction”.

A message to elites and vested interests

Finally, it sent a message to elites and big interests. He said characteristically: “And today, from our Central Committee, I want to send a message to the elites and the big interests that for ten years now have not tired of fighting me and fighting us. The day before yesterday they could not hide their great joy and great emotion. I answer them: Take your time. You haven’t reached your goal yet. It makes sense to want leaders subservient to your interests. And the resurrection of a systemic bipartisanship. The one who led the country to the brink of bankruptcy. But at other times you were quick to consider that you had finished us. You were denied. This is how you will be refuted now too.”