Stefanos Kasselakis Pledges to Stay as SYRIZA Leader Amid Internal Party Turmoil

Stefanos Kasselakis, the embattled leader of Greece's SYRIZA party, has pledged to remain at the helm despite losing the support of the party’s Central Committee.

In a defiant interview ahead of an extraordinary party congress, Kasselakis reaffirmed his commitment to running for re-election as president and dismissed internal efforts to oust him.

“The congress will decide who leads SYRIZA, and I will be a candidate no matter what,” Kasselakis told ANT1 News, stressing that the party’s base, not its leadership, should have the final say. His remarks come just before a key meeting on October 12, where the party will respond to the Central Committee’s withdrawal of confidence.

Amid growing tensions, Kasselakis accused party insiders of plotting to exclude him from the upcoming leadership race and delay the congress. He expressed frustration over the treatment he has received, including being locked out of his office, and noted that his opponents have personal, not ideological, objections. “There’s no counter-proposal to my ideas—this is about the new versus the old party machinery,” he stated.

Kasselakis also addressed rumors about former SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras, suggesting that if Tsipras wants to return to active politics, it would be most “honorable” for him to run in the leadership race. Despite Tsipras maintaining a neutral stance, Kasselakis acknowledged that the former prime minister should remain politically active.

Kasselakis affirmed that he would not attend the Central Committee meeting and argued that the party’s grassroots must have the opportunity to vote for the leadership. “I will stay in SYRIZA, no matter who is elected,” he declared, ruling out any intention to form a new political party.

With SYRIZA facing a critical moment, Kasselakis maintains that the future of the party—and his leadership—rests with its members, not its top officials.