SYRIZA leadership race intensifies as Polakis seeks party presidency

SYRIZA’s internal power struggle has sharpened after the party’s Central Committee annulled a previous decision to support another political bloc. Lawmaker Paulo Polakis announced he will run for president of the party’s parliamentary group and is positioning himself as a candidate for the party’s overall leadership. Polakis says he can bring SYRIZA back into parliament with a “respectable” share of the vote and become a decisive factor in any future left‑wing government. He stresses a program that includes public control of 51 % of DEH, returning ELPE to state ownership, reinstating the 13th and 14th salaries, and repealing the law on private universities.

Other potential contenders mentioned are Rena Dourou and former minister Nikos Pappas, while several SYRIZA MPs – including some who have already resigned – are weighing whether to stay or leave the party. The dispute also involves criticism of the party’s former leader Sakis Famelos and accusations of internal misconduct. The outcome will shape SYRIZA’s strategy for the next national elections and its role in Greek parliamentary politics.