A “catapal” text from Ahtsioglou’s group – “SYRIZA faces dissolution crisis”

An important meeting of the SYRIZA central committee has begun, where the speech of the party’s leader Stefanos Kasselakis is particularly eagerly awaited, worrying about the four executives under suspension after yesterday’s “bombshell” vote.

The 6+6 group close to Efi Ahtsioglou, with the text it submitted, speaks of an unprecedented ideological and organizational crisis in the history of the party, which, it says, has the characteristics of dissolution.

In the same speech, a special reference is made to the announcement of removal by referendum announced yesterday by Stephanos Kasselakis to the 4 dismissed party officials, Ahtzioklou’s group argues that Syriza’s president has violated any limits of democratic process.

“This proposal, and the political workers who inspired and supported it, must be rejected by all members and party organizations. This is the extreme limit of the logic of the anti-Syriza front within the party, which the president himself describes as “sick”. Faced with an inability to create political content, they invest in division and eventually dissolve.”

Read the full text

“SYRIZA – PS is in a political, ideological and institutional crisis unprecedented in its history. A crisis that has the characteristics of dissolution. After the double defeat of the May/June parliamentary elections, the presidential election process and the further weakening of our forces in the local elections, our party continues to follow a downward spiral of inwardness, This threatens not only its cohesion but also its very existence. The great expectations of great changes and impressive recovery cultivated by the current leader of the party have not been confirmed in real life.

Calling for removals through a referendum overstepped any bounds of democratic process. This proposal and the political workers who inspired and supported it should be rejected by the entire membership and party organizations. This is the extreme limit of the logic of the anti-Syriza front within the party, which the president himself describes as “sick”. Faced with an inability to create political content, they invest in division and eventually dissolve.

The crisis of SYRIZA-PS is not simply related to the experiments of a party. It is a crisis that directly concerns the political system and the democratic functioning of Greek society. On the one hand, we have a right-wing government that relentlessly promotes policies such as widening inequalities, devaluing and deregulating work, aggressive neoliberalism, declining democracy and institutional protectionism, while showing a complete inability to deal with the crises related to climate change. On the other hand, we have official opposition on the brink of dissolution. This image allows – and this is the main thing that concerns us – the right to set its agenda and dominate ideologically and politically without real counterpoint.

Politics on Wheels: The Only Answer to Global Obsolescence

At this point, SYRIZA-PS must choose one of two ways to explain the crisis it is in and find a way out. These are two competing options.

The first is the formation of a leadership group around the party leader and is summed up in the conspiracy theory of the internal enemy: dark subordinates do not allow the party to implement its policy. The problem of SYRIZA – PS is not a problem of strategy, personality and program, it is not a political and ideological problem, but it is summed up in the inferior practice of critics of the current leadership.

All this leads to the transformation of SYRIZA-PS from an open and pluralist party into a hybrid political organization of the modern left with formal economic and political choices. In a body that sinks in contempt and ridicule.

Another option is to calmly, seriously, and self-critically discuss the reasons for recent negative results. Obviously, this discussion needs to be honest about the structural weaknesses our program has had throughout its life, such as our weakness in mass spaces. Obviously, we have to look critically at the 19-23 period, which led us to a severe defeat and the current crisis. But in political terms, it is not a totalitarian Bonapartism that hunts internal enemies to hide its own nirvana. However, under no circumstances can this account be allowed to be framed with the dominant anti-Syriza narrative being reproduced by the current president and his leadership team. A debate that nullifies what we achieved as a government in 15-19 and nullifies the entire party and political workers who selflessly fought this struggle.

We often cite a society of low expectations as one of the key elements in the spread of conservative forces. At this moment, however, we face an even deeper problem, as SYRIZA-PS has become a “party of low expectations.” We are locked in a battle for second place in a “1.5 party” political system from the goal of progressive governance. The root of this impasse lies in political content, the essence of politics and the inability to reliably construct ambition and the currents of social change. As long as the new leadership team of SYRIZA-PS refuses to recognize the above and continues the witch hunt, the party will be unilaterally dissolved.

Time to change course

The issue is how SYRIZA-PS will lead the majority current in Greek society.

If there is a path to the reformation of leftist and progressive forces, it is through a modern political proposal. The main thrust of this proposal remains the social issue. On the front we need to work but also to access the goods that make up the concept of citizenship: education, health, housing. Not for a reason to “protect” lost possessions. More so with a plan to re-establish a wholesale right to universality that did not exist even in the days of economic growth.

Today the demand for social justice and the demand for climate justice are inextricably linked. The demand for climate justice and energy democracy, a different way of organizing the production model, is ultimately a demand for life. All this is a completely different role for the state, a central planning and development role with essential elements of democratic participation.

The third domain is democracy. Are we referring to rule of law issues like wiretapping or dealing with the rise of far-right and neo-Nazi forces and the total instrumentalization of the immigration issue by the ND government. Toward the conservative right. Democracy, the struggle for a global rule of law, anti-fascism and fronting with the extreme right, gender issues are not secondary political fronts.

Only then can we re-invigorate and win the battle for participation. Rising poll rates are a strong indicator of the limitations of the current political system structure. The “outside” continues to grow, losing resources and possibilities for a progressive left project. Without social mobilization, a progressive and leftist agenda cannot be implemented.

SYRIZA overturned political associations when it created a big idea in a state of crisis and low expectations: the left in power. To respond to right-wing hegemony, we must resist an overall value and ideological model that conflicts with them. In order to reinvigorate Greek society, we need to have a coherent narrative about how we envision this country in the future. To be effective, SYRIZA-PS must change course and present the great race of our time: how society will take advantage of the great, shocking, possibilities that open before it. 21st century socialism with democracy and freedom will not be an abstract slogan, but a substance today

Our goal can and should be the ambition to change the world in the present, and therefore strategic and tactical movements that can create a progressive majority. The government’s assumption of a leftist and progressive current highlights the power of taking responsibility for change without hiding from difficulties.

Respect for our history, respect for leftist and progressive citizens

The crisis of confidence is exacerbated by the political choices of the new leadership team and the personal positions of the president, which often conflict with SYRIZA-PS’s programmatic positions.

How can you believe that you are fighting for the rule of law and the observance of democratic rules when you do not respect it in your own political sphere? The logic of “we decide and order” is foreign to the society in which we struggle. Exceeded the limit. We must collectively put an end to the downward spiral.”