A group of rebel Greek leftist lawmakers on Monday formalised a ninth group in the country’s parliament, a first in decades.
The 11 lawmakers, who last month split away from main opposition party Syriza, said the new grouping will be called New Left.
The Greek parliament will have nine parties for the first time since democracy was restored in 1974.
The rebels have accused new Syriza leader Stefanos Kasselakis of “undemocratic” behaviour and of “destroying” the main opposition party that headed Greece’s first leftist government in 2015-2019.
An expatriate former Goldman Sachs trader and shipowning executive, 35-year-old Kasselakis was the surprise winner of an internal leadership race in September.
The vote followed successive Syriza defeats in May and June national elections, prompting the resignation of longtime leader Alexis Tsipras.
Kasselakis, who is also Greece’s first openly gay party leader, has been accused by critics of seeking to drag the leftist movement — which fought a bitter battle against austerity a decade ago — towards the centre-right.
Syriza has plummeted in opinion polls following Kasselakis’s election and is shown falling to third place behind socialist Pasok.
A former unknown and political novice, Kasselakis won after a whirlwind campaign mostly waged on social media, vowing to “conquer the Greek Dream” and create a “modern Left” that can win back power.
In an interview with Alpha TV on Monday, Kasselakis said he would unite “democrats and progressives” in Greece despite the defection of scores of party members who followed the 11 lawmakers out the door in past weeks.
“I was elected because of my humanity and my intent to break eggs,” he said.
“My conscience is clear… we will tidy up the party,” Kasselakis said.
Source: AFP
