End of the Road for Syriza?

Syriza once again finds itself in crisis. After a turbulent party congress on 8–10 November, Stefanos Kasselakis, who was removed as president of the party in September by the Central Committee, announced the formation of a new party. More than 100 members of the Central Committee and a number of sitting Members of Parliament announced their intention to resign from the party. This latest split deepens the fragmentation of the Left in Greece. As for Syriza itself, the consequence may well be that it loses its role as the largest opposition party, a position which would be taken over by the centre-left Pasok.

It will take time for the exact consequences of the split to become clear, but it is certainly a major rupture. In many ways, it seems as if an era of political mobilization has come to an end.

A Cycle Comes to an End

The beginning of this cycle was marked by Syriza’s rapid growth as a promising alternative to austerity politics and a way out of the economic crisis in the early 2010s. In the context of the Eurozone crisis, Syriza quickly became a beacon for left-wing parties across Europe, embodying the promise that an anti-austerity, grassroots movement could challenge the established order.

This period of rapid growth was followed by the period of the government under prime minister and party leader Alexis Tsipras between 2015 and 2019. It was marked by struggles over the terms and conditions of the implementation of the Third Memorandum of the Troika (European Central Bank, European Commission, and International Monetary Funds), rather than any clear rupture with neoliberal politics, which continued to be imposed with brutal force.

Syriza was subsequently defeated by the conservative party New Democracy in the 2019 elections. Criticisms grew concerning the party’s inability to formulate a compelling counter-narrative to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s conservative policies, while at the same time it struggled to maintain cohesion across the broad range of political currents it represented.

Tsipras resigned following the party’s substantial losses in both the general and the local elections in 2023, opening up a leadership contest. The contest was won by Stefanos Kasselakis in September 2023. Despite lacking political experience, Kasselakis’s fresh appeal and promises to modernize the party quickly won over many in Syriza’s base. Presenting himself as a youthful, dynamic figure capable of challenging Mitsotakis, he crafted his image as a successful entrepreneur, fluent in English, and embodying a kind of “Greek Dream” narrative — echoing ideals of resilience and upward mobility reminiscent of the American Dream. Kasselakis also positioned himself as Tsipras’s heir, drawing a symbolic link to Syriza’s radical past.

As the year progressed, Kasselakis’s policies continued to clash with Syriza’s traditional factions, fuelling frustration.

Kasselakis’s unexpected rise to power stirred both optimism and discontent. For some, his outsider status and straightforward style offered hope for a fresh start, reinvigorating the party with an appeal that could attract younger voters and challenge New Democracy. Yet, his business-oriented, centrist approach clashed sharply with Syriza’s traditional left-wing identity and grassroots origins.

Established figures within the party grew concerned that his focus on personal branding, lifestyle, and identity politics marked a shift away from the anti-austerity, working- and lower-middle-class platform that had previously defined Syriza under Tsipras. This divergence intensified internal divisions, with long-standing members and radical factions questioning his commitment to Syriza’s core principles. As ideological rifts widened, Kasselakis made little effort to reconcile these differences, intensifying the growing sense of crisis within the party.

The Crisis Deepens

The internal discord that emerged after Kasselakis’s election as leader reached a breaking point in October 2023, culminating in a no-confidence vote by the Central Committee. During the congress that followed, Kasselakis adopted a notably assertive stance, and signalled his first decisive shift away from former leader Alexis Tsipras — who also distanced himself from the way Kasselakis led the party. This further exacerbated the rift between the new leadership and the party’s traditional base.

A vote for a new leadership was avoided at the last minute after, during the congress, Kasselakis expelled three prominent figures who had publicly questioned his adherence to Syriza’s core values. While Kasselakis defended these expulsions as necessary to maintain unity and to prevent his critics from weakening the party, they deepened the internal rifts within Syriza. Many viewed them as an attempt by Kasselakis to consolidate power. Several veteran members, including former ministers Effie Achtsioglou and Nasos Iliopoulos, raised concerns about his leadership and the party’s future direction. The congress ultimately concluded with a significant split, leading to the formation of Nea Aristera ("New Left"), a new political party that attracted much of Syriza’s intellectual and ideological base. This marked a major realignment within the Greek Left. Nea Aristera has a group of 11 deputies in parliament. Despite a disappointing performance in the European elections in June 2024, the party is consolidating its political position.

As the year progressed, Kasselakis’s policies continued to clash with Syriza’s traditional factions, fuelling frustration. His moves to centralize decision-making and introduce reforms were viewed as a shift toward a more top-down leadership model, further alienating grassroots supporters. The criticism from early Syriza figures and the erosion of support from the party’s base grew in intensity. By the time the September 2024 congress approached, calls for Kasselakis’s to resign had reached a crescendo, culminating in a second no-confidence vote.

The Tipping Point

It was hoped that the November 2024 congress would address the internal crisis and determine its future course. Instead, it became another battleground in the ongoing struggle for control over Syriza’s direction. Already deeply divided, the party faced a new rupture when Kasselakis was barred from being a candidate for the leadership. This decision was viewed by many — especially Kasselakis supporters — as undemocratic.

Things escalated quickly during the days of the congress. A key issue was the allegation that Kasselakis’ opponents had effectively excluded his supporters from voting, further fueling accusations of undemocratic procedures, diminishing the democratic legitimacy of the congress, and undermining the party’s ethos of collective decision-making. This time around, however, accusations did not come solely from Kasselakis supporters. This atmosphere of exclusion raised significant concerns, particularly as it mirrored the centralization of power in the party under Kasselakis’s leadership and raised questions about whether the ongoing divisions were ideological or merely a contest over power.

The November 2024 congress marked the culmination of an ongoing identity crisis. The divisions within the party were no longer just about leadership — they were about the party’s fundamental purpose and vision.

In a dramatic move, Kasselakis announced the creation of a new party, “a movement from society, for society”, adding that it was “a joyful day because a movement of democracy, free citizens, and progress is being created”. The party’s future now hangs by a thread. After four MPs followed Kasselakis into the new party, Syriza and Pasok have the same number of MPs (31) and Syriza maintains its claim to the lead opposition party only due to the number of votes it won in the 2023 elections. This dire situation will be inherited by the new leader of Syriza, who will now be elected in two round of elections, in late November and early December.

From a critical standpoint, the congress was a missed opportunity for meaningful dialogue and reconciliation within the party. The deepening ideological rift was not merely about Kasselakis’s leadership, but the fundamental question of what Syriza should represent in contemporary Greek politics. Kasselakis’s push to modernize the party, to “adapt” to a changing political landscape, was seen by his critics as an attempt to turn Syriza into a vehicle for centrist politics, distancing itself from the radical, anti-austerity message that had made it popular in the first place.

In the past months, some party members argued that Kasselakis’s efforts to consolidate power were not only undemocratic but also counterproductive in the long run. They contended that such top-down leadership alienated Syriza’s grassroots supporters, especially those who had rallied behind Tsipras’s initial platform of people-centered policies. This, in turn, only weakened the party further, as it struggled to retain its left-wing voter base in the face of New Democracy’s dominance.

On the other hand, Kasselakis’s supporters maintained that the party needed to evolve and that his leadership was a necessary step toward revitalizing Syriza. In their view, a return to the ideological purity of the past would not suffice in the current political climate, where voters were increasingly disillusioned with traditional politics. Kasselakis was portrayed as the only leader capable of leading Syriza into the future, appealing to a broader, younger electorate that had grown tired of the same old political debates.

One way or another, the November 2024 congress marked the culmination of an ongoing identity crisis. The divisions within the party were no longer just about leadership — they were about the party’s fundamental purpose and vision. At this point, the Syriza that existed in 2023 is split in three, while many former supporters feel “politically homeless”.

The Necessity of Reinvention

It’s hard to ignore the extent to which Kasselakis’s leadership style contributed to this crisis. While it’s important for a political party to adapt to changing times, it’s also essential to remain grounded in the core values that initially gained it the support of voters. Kasselakis’s attempts to centralize power and shift Syriza toward a more technocratic, centrist, and business-friendly approach have clearly alienated many of the party’s most loyal supporters. The failure to reconcile these opposing visions is a significant blow to the party’s cohesion and creates challenges for the future.

On the other hand, it is also hard to overlook the fact that Syriza had problems and internal divisions also before Kasselakis. In many ways, he served as a catalyst for existing problems and tensions to burst, often in unexpected ways. Why was a newcomer able to develop such a large following so quickly? How did the manner in which the disagreement played out grow so uncomradely? Who were the people following Kasselakis and why were they so angry with the party’s institutions? By whom and why did they feel excluded? Or, in other words, when and why did they begin to feel that the party needed a complete overhaul?

The emergence of new political entities within the Greek Left underscores the fragmentation of the opposition to New Democracy.

It is difficult to deny that Kasselakis’s politics has elements of populism. Even the way he regularly addressed the members of the party in a direct, “unmediated” way makes this clear. At the same time, it is hard to deny that there was a void in the left-wing electorate that his emergence filled. In any case, there is a need for some self-reflection about what is happening on the Left in Greece. There is also a need for social analysis and work to develop a deep understanding of where contemporary hopes and fears stand and what a contemporary left party needs to address. This debate has to address the whole cycle of mobilization and demobilization of the Left since the early 2010s.

The emergence of new political entities within the Greek Left underscores the fragmentation of the opposition to New Democracy. With Syriza now losing its dominance as the primary left-wing force, it faces the dual challenge of rebuilding unity while dealing with its diminishing role in the political landscape. Syriza is currently polling only 7 percent.

The situation has left many wondering whether the Left in Greece can present a unified alternative to Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s government, or if ongoing splits will ensure that the Left remains divided and politically ineffective in the coming years. It becomes even darker when the rise of reactionary political parties all over Europe is taken into account.

It is clear that we are facing an era of uncertainty and pressing social and economic problems. In a situation like this, left-wing parties need to reinvent themselves in a way that they become relevant and persuasive, otherwise they risk irrelevance and decline. This is the challenge that the Greek Left faces.