Syriza leader Famellos tightens grip amid internal purges

Sokratis Famellos, president of Greece's Syriza party, announced a decisive crackdown on internal dissent. He dismissed parliamentary spokesperson Nikos Papas and former party spokesperson Kostas Zahariadis, and removed outspoken MP Pavlos Polakis from a party position after Polakis criticised the party's support for former prime minister Alexis Tsipras, calling it "undignified" and a "political subservience". Famellos said the central committee's decision would not be questioned and warned against any attempts to reinterpret it.

Following the dismissals, Christos Giannoulis was appointed as the new party spokesperson for the Thessaloniki region, while Theofilos Xanthopoulos and Kostas Markas replaced Papas in other roles. Polakis announced he would request an urgent central committee meeting and send a direct message to Tsipras seeking clarification of his political intentions, accusing the Syriza leadership of steering the party toward "political shrinkage".

The internal conflict highlights growing tensions within Syriza regarding its future direction and alliances with other progressive forces.