Why did SYRIZA, the main opposition party in Greece, split?

Stefanos Kasselakis, the new leader of the main opposition Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) in Greece, invited party members who accused him of being "right-wing" to resign. In response, 53 members of SYRIZA resigned, eight of them former ministers and two MPs. The left-wing "Umbrella" faction, led by former Finance Minister Euclid Chakalotos, also accused Kasselakis of "Trumpist practices and right-wing populist policies". SYRIZA's Central Committee meeting over the weekend was eventful.

In his speech at the meeting, President Stefanos Kasselakis said, "If those who think I am right-wing do not resign from the party, I will organize a referendum in which members will vote." Reacting to Kasselakis, members representing the left wing in the Committee left the hall.

After leaving the meeting, 53 members of SYRIZA's backbone resigned from the party and issued a joint statement. "SYRIZA, led by Kasselakis, has nothing to do with the left," the statement read. SYRIZA, which was in power between 2015 and 2019, received only 17.5 percent of the vote in Greece's June general elections and managed to get 45 seats in the 300-seat Greek Parliament.

After the resignation of President Alexis Tsipras, 35-year-old businessman Stefanos Kasselakis, who returned to Greece after 20 years in the US, was elected as the new leader of SYRIZA. Kasselakis' surprise victory was met with dissatisfaction, especially in the left wing of the party.

According to opinion polls, support for SYRIZA is declining Opinion polls in Greece show that support for SYRIZA is rapidly declining, with the party's share of the vote falling below 17.5 percent after Kasselakis was elected as leader. Kasselakis blamed the backbone of the party for SYRIZA's heavy electoral defeat and accused them of "rotting the party". Referring to the "rottenness" of the party organs, Kasselakis said, "Under my leadership, SYRIZA will move forward with the society behind it and will have the power to oust the conservative New Democracy Party led by Prime Minister Kiryakos Mitsotakis." According to political analysts, those who left SYRIZA may form a new party under the leadership of Euclid Chakalotos. Resignations from SYRIZA are expected to continue. Kasselakis' rival in the presidential election, Efi Akhcioglu, has not yet left SYRIZA. If the number of resigning MPs reaches 16 and they form a new party, they will be able to form a group in the Parliament. SYRIZA's split could benefit the opposition parties, the socialist PASOK and the Communist Party (KKE), which are the third and fourth parties in the Greek Parliament. Alexis Tsipras, on the other hand, has remained silent following the latest developments in the party. Some commentators say that Tsipras "will not seek the party leadership again". However, there are also commentators in Greece who argue that Tsipras may become the party leader again in order to prevent the party from disintegrating if SYRIZA loses more votes in the European Parliament (EP) elections to be held on June 6-9, 2024.