What's happened
Sokratis Famellos narrowly won the Syriza leadership election, while the party's support continues to decline. Recent defections have reduced Syriza's parliamentary presence, now trailing behind PASOK. The party's electoral appeal has diminished significantly since its peak in 2015, raising concerns about its future viability.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to AP News, Sokratis Famellos won the Syriza leadership election but fell short of a majority, highlighting the party's internal divisions. The Independent noted that recent defections have left Syriza with fewer deputies than PASOK, indicating a shift in the political landscape. Theodora Tzakri, one of the defectors, criticized the current leadership for stripping Syriza of its role as the main opposition, emphasizing the party's declining influence since its government tenure from 2015 to 2019.
How we got here
Syriza, once a dominant force in Greek politics, has seen its support erode since losing power in 2019. Recent elections and defections have further weakened its position, with former leader Stefanos Kasselakis announcing a breakaway party after being ousted in September 2024.
More on these topics
-
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement, known mostly by its acronym PASOK, is a social-democratic political party in Greece. Until 2015, it was one of the two major electoral forces in the country, along with New Democracy, its main political rival.
-
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, known also as Hellas, is a country located in Southeast Europe. Its population is approximately 10.7 million as of 2018; Athens, the nation's capital, is its largest city, followed by Thessaloniki.