There is great frustration within the campaign team of Alexis Tsipras regarding Sokratis Famellos and his actions within SYRIZA.

Although Alexis Tsipras may have been plotting the dissolution of SYRIZA for the past three years, he could not have imagined what is happening now. At Amalias, they believe things will soon spiral out of control.

Alexis Tsipras personally blames Sokratis Famellos for the way he has been handling the breakup of SYRIZA in recent days. The purges of party officials, the Polakis–Pappas and Dourou, the erratic moves within the party’s leadership, and the unclear message to the Hellenic Police have caused frustration.

In fact, the disappointment within Alexis Tsipras’s inner circle is such that they believe Socrates Famellosand SYRIZA are currently doing them harm, as everyone remembers what Koumoundourou stands for and everyone associates the chaos with the Hellenic Police as well. In short, they believe that in the eyes of the public, SYRIZA and ELAS are one and the same, and that whatever is happening at Koumoundourou is also a burden for the former prime minister’s new party.

In fact, they’ve started making excuses, saying that… the reason the polls cap them at 15–16% it’s the fault of Socrates Famellos and the fact that he was unable to control the situation within SYRIZA. And the worst is yet to come.

If the Polakis–Pappas – Dourou faction carries out its threats to oust Socrates Famellos, calls for a party convention, and perhaps even legal action to keep the party open—they believe that the image of ELAS will be irreparably damaged. As explained by an ELAS official—who, of course, was once a member of SYRIZA— the problems at Koumoundourou also appear to be problems of Alexis Tsipras, and this is deterring a significant percentage of people from embracing the new party.

Regardless of whether Socrates Famellos has made a mess of SYRIZA and regardless of what reactions may follow, all of this amounts to nothing more than excuses. Because at ELAS, they refuse to admit that the party’s ceiling, at best, is SYRIZA’s vote share in the 2023 national elections.