Greece's Syriza parliamentary group shrinks as MPs turn independent

On 17 July 2024 the centre‑left Syriza party experienced a fresh wave of departures. MPs Miltos Zampáras (Aetoloakarnania), Diodysios Kalamatanios (Ilia) and parliamentary vice‑president Olga Gerobasile announced they were leaving the Syriza parliamentary group to sit as independents. Former party president Socrates Famellos is also expected to announce his own exit from the group.

Earlier in the week Vasilis Kokkalis resigned his seat, returning it to Syriza, and 63 members of the party’s central committee submitted resignations. The cumulative effect reduced Syriza’s presence in the Hellenic Parliament to 11 members – a loss of 16 MPs within a single week.

Zampáras said his decision “was not easy nor painless … to remain useful to society” and pledged to donate his parliamentary allowance to patient organisations and societies in Aetoloakarnania. The party is now preparing to elect a new parliamentary‑group president, with Paolos Polakis and Rena Dourou emerging as leading candidates for the post.