Pavlos Polakis returns to SYRIZA as party cancels cooperation with Tsipras

The SYRIZA Central Committee met on 11 July with a quorum of 140 members (81 in‑person, 59 via Zoom) and adopted four key resolutions. It declared the 6 June decision to support the EL.AS alliance with Alexis Tsipras void, announced the reinstatement of Pavlos Polakis to the party’s parliamentary group, and called for an accelerated preparation for the upcoming elections, including the creation of an electoral alliance with any willing forces. The Committee scheduled further work for the weekend of 18‑19 July and instructed the Political Secretariat to draft an immediate election‑preparation roadmap. Polakis described the meeting as “historic”, saying, “I am returning to the SYRIZA parliamentary group and will be a candidate for president.” The session sparked internal controversy: some members questioned its legality, claiming the required 137‑member quorum was not met, while others defended the decisions as binding. In the days that followed, the party faced a wave of resignations – more than a dozen MPs signaled departure – and the SYRIZA Youth demanded an intra‑party referendum and urged the party to support Tsipras’ EL.AS list in the national election. The developments reflect a deep split within SYRIZA over its future direction and alliances ahead of the next electoral contest.