Kasselakis “with” Tsipras as a participant as well

Alexis Tsipras has been receiving advice from his political friends not to attend the event of the presentation of Syriza MEPs in order to disagree with what Stefanos Kassalakis has been doing and saying in recent days. A. Tsipras did not listen to them and went to the show. Why did he do it?

First – he sees first-hand that SYRIZA under Kassalakis will move around the target he set in the European elections. It has passed the decline phase and is in the recovery phase. Only fools don't see this. So, A. Tsipras—who is not yesterday—wants to claim his share of success. To say that he also contributed to a good election result.

On the contrary, if he listens to his friends and doesn't go, will that change the outcome of the election? Will this prevent some of those who decided to vote for Kassalakis' Syriza from changing their minds? I don't think so. A. Tsipras, in his absence, will register another personal defeat and cut off from Syriza's electoral base, which he needs for his future plans, if plans can be made today.

I should mention that A. Tsipras – in addition to the political mistake he would make if he did not attend this event – would also be suspected of an institutional mistake as he is a SYRIZA MP and its historic former leader. So: his existence is a forced movement, a one-way street.

But doesn't that legitimize what Stefanos Kassalakis says and does? Of course, he knows it, but as I mentioned above he cannot do otherwise. And he's waiting for the European election results, and after that… watching and doing. Because A. The important question is what other options Tsipras has. None at present. As Syriza moves around 15-17%, this stalemate will continue for him.

Of course, he's an old caravan, I think, and he's patient—he knows that politics is ultimately a long-distance race, a sprint race—and he'll wait for the right conditions and, occasionally, return to the political center stage. And Stefanos Kassalakis?

I have written it: all his political opponents inside and outside SYRIZA should not underestimate him. He has skills and builds an audience that has nothing to do with the left. Audience builders also design their space. The pure Marxists of SYRIZA and most of the new democrats do not understand this. And one more thing, just as important: He is very young.