SYRIZA leadership clashes over ELAS alliance ahead of June 25 meeting

On Thursday, 25 June, the Political Secretariat of Greece’s SYRIZA party met at 15:00 to evaluate the Central Committee’s recent decision to back the new left‑wing formation ELAS led by Alexis Tsipras. The session was marked by intense intra‑party pressure on party president Socrates Famellos, with dissenting figures such as Pavlos Polakis, Rena Dourou and Nikos Papap demanding a concrete roadmap and threatening a vote of no‑confidence.

The dissenters had previously set an informal ten‑day “deadline” that expired on the day of the meeting, and they are now pressing for an extraordinary Central Committee gathering, having collected around 70‑75 signatures. Questions were raised about whether Famellos would engage directly with Tsipras, whether an alliance could be formalised, and what the party’s electoral strategy should be ahead of upcoming elections. Tsipras himself was scheduled for a televised interview at 19:00 on the same day, adding further pressure on SYRIZA’s leadership.

While Famellos retained a majority in party organs, the episode highlighted a split between a faction seeking cooperation with ELAS and another pushing for an autonomous campaign, leaving the party’s future direction uncertain.