By Emilia Salvanou*
On Sunday, November 24, 2024, Member of Parliament Sokratis Famellos was elected the new leader of SYRIZA, marking a pivotal moment in the party’s history. Yet, within days of his election, SYRIZA lost its status as the Government’s official opposition, underscoring the party’s ongoing struggle to redefine its position in Greece’s evolving political landscape. Meanwhile, developments within the ruling New Democracy party exacerbated the turbulence: on November 19, former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras was expelled, sparking widespread speculation about attempts to consolidate far-right voters by creating a new political force. These events reflect the fluidity and polarization of Greek politics as the country braces for further fractures and realignments. The Left now faces a moment of reckoning: How did SYRIZA, once a dominant leftist force with governmental experience, end up in such a precarious position?
SYRIZA’s trajectory has been turbulent since its rise to power in 2015. Originally a coalition of leftist factions, it evolved into a governing force under Alexis Tsipras, steering Greece through the Eurozone crisis, and ultimately implementing the Troika’s austerity package. Despite significant challenges, SYRIZA managed to hold onto power until its defeat in the general election in 2019, which marked the beginning of the process of decline. Successive electoral losses eroded its parliamentary presence and public support, deepening internal divisions that worsened over time, with thehe party’s fragmentation reaching a nadir during the leadership of Stefanos Kasselakis (September 2023 – September 2024).
Kasselakis’s tenure, marked by rhetoric often leaning toward pragmatism and moderation, clashed with the party’s left-wing core, who criticized his attempts to shift SYRIZA away from its ideological roots. His inability to navigate internal conflicts, compounded by a lack of strong political alliances, deepened the rifts. Prominent left-wing figures, including former ministers and key MPs, grew increasingly critical of his leadership style and his management of party dynamics. By late 2024, tensions became untenable, culminating in Kasselakis’s ousting and a further fragmentation of SYRIZA, with Kasselakis forming a new political party named Kinima Dimokratias (Movement for Democary) at the time of Syriza’s party congress in November. By the end of the 2024, the SYRIZA of 2023 has splintered into three factions: SYRIZA, Kinima Dimokratias, and Nea Aristera (New Left), each representing the reality of the Greek left’s current inability to maintain unity in an ever-changing political environment.
A New Leader for SYRIZA
Amidst this fragmentation, SYRIZA held a leadership election in November 24, with a second round scheduled for December 1, if necessary. Four candidates emerged: Sokratis Famellos, Pavlos Polakis, Apostolos Gletsos, and Nikolas Farantouris.
In the televised debate on November 20, 2024, the four candidates candidates presented their visions for SYRIZA’s future amidst the ongoing crisis. Famellos advocated for unity, emphasizing a return to the party’s traditional left-wing values while criticizing its recent trajectory. Polakis, in contrast, proposed a more radical approach, calling for stronger opposition policies, including the nationalization of key sectors. Gletsos sought to broaden SYRIZA’s appeal, proposing a more centrist strategy to attract voters from across the political spectrum. Farantouris advocated for internal organizational reforms, including the introduction of two vice-presidents, but his proposals met resistance from the other candidates.
The debate exposed the party’s deep internal divisions, highlighting the ideological and organizational fragmentation that has plagued SYRIZA for months. It also revealed the two clear frontrunners, Famellos and Polakis, each embodying contrasting visions for the party’s future. Famellos represented a pragmatic vision of healing and unity within the party, while Polakis embodied a more confrontational leftist stance, calling for radical change. Their contrasting approaches highlighted the ideological battle that would shape SYRIZA’s future and define the leadership election itself.
The Frontrunners: Pavlos Polakis and Sokratis Famellos
Pavlos Polakis is a key figure in SYRIZA’s radical left-wing. Known for his combative style, Polakis rose to prominence as a vocal critic of austerity measures and economic policies. As Deputy Minister of Health (2015–2019), he championed public healthcare reforms and became a symbol of resistance to Greece’s neoliberal agenda. His candidacy for SYRIZA’s leadership in 2024 focused on returning the party to its anti-austerity, confrontational roots. Despite initially supporting Kasselakis, Polakis distanced himself as the latter’s leadership faltered, positioning himself as the representative of SYRIZA’s left-wing base. At the election he was supported by 43.51% οf the voters.
Sokratis Famellos, in contrast, represents SYRIZA’s more moderate faction. Having been active in the party since its early years, Famellos served as Deputy Minister for Environment and Energy (2019–2023), overseeing Greece’s energy transition and environmental policies. From August 2023 to July 2024 he served as the leader of SYRIZA’s parliamentary faction. Famellos’s leadership bid emphasized stability and unity within SYRIZA, focusing on a pragmatic approach to governance. His candidacy signaled a desire to restore the party’s credibility with the Greek public after its electoral defeats. Famellos was seen as the candidate for healing internal divisions and adapting SYRIZA to contemporary political realities, offering a more institutional approach in contrast to Polakis’s radicalism. Famellos’ vision for SYRIZA’s future is rooted in a return to the party’s traditional left-wing values, but with a view toward adapting to contemporary political realities. His focus on healing internal rifts and restoring the party’s credibility with the Greek public after several electoral defeats signals a turning point for SYRIZA. Although he may not fully appeal to the more radical factions within the party, Famellos’s pragmatic approach offers the best path forward for SYRIZA to regain its footing in Greek politics. His emphasis on policy, unity, and sustainability could make him the leader SYRIZA needs to rebuild and remain a relevant force in Greek politics. At the election he was supported by 49.41% οf the voters.
Both Polakis and Famellos garnered over 94% of the vote in the leadership election, underscoring their dominant positions within the party. Polakis appeals to SYRIZA’s left-wing, anti-austerity base, while Famellos offers a more cautious, institutional path aimed at restoring the party’s credibility and broader appealPolakis draws support from radical members who seek a direct and unfiltered leader to challenge Greece’s political establishment, while Famellos attracts those who value stability and professionalism.
What Does the Election Result Mean for SYRIZA?
The leadership election of November 2024 was more than just a contest for SYRIZA’s leadership; it encapsulated the party’s internal divisions and its struggle to adapt to Greece’s changing political landscape. With Sokratis Famellos emerging victorious, it is hoped that period of greater calm might follow for the party, but its future remains uncertain. While Famellos’s pragmatic approach may offer a sense of stability , the party’s survival depends on whether it can heal its internal rifts and redefine its role amidst competition from new political forces, such as Stefanos Kasselakis’s Kinima Dimokratias, and the rising influence of the center-right (PASOK), who are now the official opposition, following Syriza’s splits.
Once the dominant force in the Greek Left, SYRIZA is now an increasingly marginal presence, with single-digit support reflecting its diminished role in the political arena. The party’s credibility, already weakened by electoral defeats, was further undermined by Kasselakis’s tumultuous leadership, which deepened its internal fragmentation. Famellos’s election was thus seen as a vote for continuity—a recognition that SYRIZA could not afford to abandon its roots entirely but needed to adapt to the new political realities.
Despite his victory, Famellos faces immense challenges. His leadership signals a shift toward a more moderate, unifying approach, but the key question is whether he can chart a course that brings SYRIZA back to relevance. The left-wing faction with a populist tone, embodied by Polakis, remains a powerful force within the party, even though Polakis acknowledged Famellos’ victory, resigned from the second round and stated that he would support the new leader.
His radical stance, though, continues to resonate with many, positioning him as a secondary pole within SYRIZA. This reflects the ideological tensions within the party, with Famellos advocating for a pragmatic, institutional approach, while Polakis pushes for a return to the party’s radical roots.
SYRIZA now faces an existential challenge: Can it retain its identity as a progressive force, or will it continue to splinter under the weight of its internal divisions? As Famellos attempts to rebuild, the question remains whether the party can recover its former prominence or remain a fragmented entity. Famellos’s leadership could be a defining moment for both SYRIZA and the Greek Left, and the coming months will determine whether SYRIZA can reclaim its relevance or fade further into obscurity.
The Greek Left in front of New Challenges
Not only is SYRIZA at a crossroads, but the challenges facing the Greek Left are much broader, particularly since government was once part of its hopes and plans. Looking back to 2015, six parties have splintered from the original SYRIZA: Laiki Enotita (Popular Unity,Dimitris Stratoulis & Marianna Tsichli), Plevsi Eleutherias (Course of Freedom, Zoe Konstantopoulou), Mera25 (Diem25, Yanis Varoufakis), Kosmos (The World, Petros Kokkalis), Nea Aristera (New Left, Alexis Haritsis), and Kinima Dimokratias (Democratic movement, Stefanos Kasselakis). What was once a unified party has now fragmented into seven. This would not necessarily be a problem if it signaled the Left’s growing strength—but the opposite is happening. The Greek Left is splintering while simultaneously losing power, a pattern mirrored across Europe and the USA.
Zooming in, left-wing voters in Greece today, after five years of Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ government and the continued weakening of the Left, are bitter. Surprisingly, their bitterness is directed more at each other than at the government. SYRIZA accuses the New Left of apostasy; the New Left charges SYRIZA with abandoning left-wing ideals. Kasselakis blames both factions for corruption, while all parties criticize Plevsi Eleutherias for populism and Mera25 for fragmenting the movement. Simultaneously, they blame SYRIZA for compromising too much. And so on… However, the most intense conflicts today are between SYRIZA, Nea Aristera, and Kinima Dimokratias.
While fragmentation and infighting are deeply ingrained in the history of the Left—not just in Greece but globally—what is harder to justify is allowing emotional divisions and ideological rigidity to obscure the larger picture. That larger picture is this: society is unraveling, and as it does, the extreme right is gaining traction, undoing hard-won social progress.
Where does the Left go from here? The first step must be to move away from self-referential stances and address the pressing issues of everyday life. Critiques of the “Brahmin Left,”[1] or the perception of the Left as elitist and disconnected from working-class realities, are not without merit. These criticisms resonate with the frustrations voiced by Kasselakis’ supporters and the significant backing Polakis received in recent elections. A revitalized Left must prioritize pragmatism and focus on actionable solutions that address the immediate needs of marginalized communities and the working class. By engaging with tangible issues—without abandoning core values—the Left can transcend fragmentation and effectively challenge entrenched power structures.
The way forward begins with agreement on urgent priorities and the strategic building of alliances. Social justice and inequality must be at the forefront of this agenda, particularly given that 26.1% of the Greek population faces poverty and social exclusion, even among those who are employed. Energy poverty and the housing crisis are worsening, the healthcare system is deteriorating, and the social security system teeters on the brink of collapse due to the country’s demographic imbalance. These are not abstract problems; they are urgent and deeply felt by ordinary people in their daily lives.
If the Left fails to address these concerns, the void created by frustration and exclusion will be filled—most likely by the extreme right. The historian Alessandro Portelli’s study of how the Italian city of Terni shifted from communism to fascism is a stark reminder that the threat is real.[2] The Greek Left cannot afford to squander its time on internal conflicts or academic elitism. Instead, it must refocus on its core mission: delivering tangible change and advocating for those who need it most. The path forward lies in rebuilding trust, bridging divisions, and anchoring its policies in the lived realities of the working class and marginalized communities. Only by addressing immediate challenges—poverty, inequality, and a crumbling social safety net—can the Left reclaim its relevance and offer a real alternative to rising extremism.
The stakes could not be higher: either the Left steps up to fill the space of hope and justice, or it cedes that space to the forces of division and hate. This is not just a matter of political survival but a fight for the soul of society itself. The Left has the tools and the legacy to lead; now it must find the courage and unity to act.
*Emilia Salvanou is a historian and adjunct lecturer at the University of Thessaly.
[1] The term was coined by the French economist and political scientist Thomas Piketty in his research on the evolution of political cleavages in modern democracies. Piketty used the term to describe a phenomenon where left-wing parties, historically associated with the working class, increasingly draw support from higher-educated, more affluent, and culturally progressive voters—the so-called “Brahmin” class, referencing the educated elite caste in traditional Indian society. See Thomas Piketty et al, “Brahmin Left versus Merchant Right: Changing Political Cleavages in 21 Western Democracies, 1948-2020”, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 137/1 (2022).
[2] Alessandro Portelli, Dal rosso al nero. La svolta a destra di una città operaia Terni, laboratorio d’Italia. Collana: Saggi. Storia e scienze sociali 2023
