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Greece’s fractious main opposition party Syriza was hit by new defections during an emergency meeting to elect a new leader to replace Stefanos Kasselakis, who critics accuse of authoritarianism.
Three lawmakers close to Kasselakis, Greece’s first openly gay party leader who was elected to the post in September last year, defected late Friday. A fourth left Saturday.
Kasselakis and his allies say the party bureaucracy had barred his supporters from participating in the emergency three-day congress.
He is expected to launch a new party Saturday.
Syriza’s central committee on September 8 voted to remove Kasselakis following bitter squabbles over his policies and leadership style.
The US-educated former Goldman Sachs trader alienated Syriza stalwarts with a pro-business stance that prompted 11 party lawmakers to defect within weeks to form a rival leftist group in parliament.
He controversially claimed in April that a divine sign occurred during his baptism, with the oil in his baptismal font forming into a cross.
The 36-year-old also faced criticism after the party newspaper and radio station were left unpaid for weeks this year.
Syriza was in power in 2015-2019 under leftist prime minister Alxis Tsipras. Tsipras resigned in June 2023 after leading the party to its second straight defeat in national elections.
jph/ach
