The Koumoundourou is turning into a vast political madhouse, with Sokratis Famellos acting as the ultimate catalyst for total discredit.
His speech yesterday at the Political Secretariat of SYRIZA was not merely provocative; it was a display of political authoritarianism and unprecedented arrogance from a leader who appears to have lost all touch with reality.
At a time when the party is falling apart and the polls foretell an absolute electoral Waterloo, its president chooses to entrench himself behind his bureaucratic arsenal, ostentatiously wagging his finger at anyone who dares to question his non-existent vision.
A plan? What plan?
Appearing utterly unmovable and trapped in his own delusions, S. Famellos repeated yesterday with provocative emphasis that there is a “specific plan” for the alliance of… progressive forces.
Of course, no one knows what this plan is, since he once again took care to speak in completely vague terms, without providing any clear timeline for the strategic convergence with ELAS of Alexis Tsipras.
Instead of clear answers, the president of SYRIZA opted for an extremely aggressive tactic against the internal party opposition and characterized the demands for an immediate convening of the Central Committee as “undemocratic,” while speaking disparagingly of “unprecedented whims” of those who constantly demand meetings.
The arrogance of S. Famellos reached its peak when he attempted to present his personal schedule of meetings with various organizations and the public relations efforts of some of his close associates as the “practical implementation” of the party’s strategy. The most alarming, however, is that there is no “Plan B” on the table in case the venture gets permanently bogged down.
The president of SYRIZA made it clear that he does not intend to tie himself down to tight deadlines, dubbing his stalling a “dynamic process in full swing.” Simply put, he is asking for a blank check to steer the ship onto the rocks, without being accountable to anyone.
Throwing down the gauntlet to his intra-party critics, he sent a clear, passionate message to those who have a different take on the party’s disastrous course. Without naming them, he provocatively belittled them, essentially labeling them a minority and pointedly conveying that, at the end of the day, the will of the majority —that is, his own personal line.
This authoritarian mindset, however, provoked an immediate and furious reaction from top party officials. Pavlos Polakis, Nikos Pappas, and Rena Dourou joined forces against the president’s high-handedness, while Thanasis Theocharopoulos delivered a resounding rebuke; adopting a more measured yet clear stance, he appeared to be abandoning his unconditional support for the president, proving that S. Famellos’s base is crumbling.
By leaving the Central Committee meeting early, P. Polakis delivered the final blow, stating that the 75 signatures required to convene an emergency meeting of the Central Committee—as stipulated by the party bylaws—might be submitted even later today.
Yesterday, the atmosphere in the hallways of Koumoundourou was combative, with the phrase “You took SYRIZA to 10% and brought it down to 1%” echoing as the ultimate indictment against the president. And yet, in the face of this widespread skepticism, S. Famellos continues to play his tune .
He turns a blind eye to reality, asking party officials to “respect” past decisions and stop being inward-looking, as if the disaster were a figment of their imagination. In fact, he dismisses with disgust the scenarios of dissolution and promises… a “distinctive presence” at the Thessaloniki International Fair!
“Resign, and we’ll see”
Amid this scene of utter disintegration, Alexis Tsipras made sure to put “ice” on any hopes S. Famellos might have had for support or an alliance. The former prime minister, in an interview with Alpha, made it pointedly clear that “his phone lines are open,” but sent a clear message of disdain for the squabbling among his former comrades. “I came here to talk about society’s problems, not about Mr. Polakis’s problems with SYRIZA,” he said pointedly.
In fact, delivering an even harsher jab at those members of Parliament who are considering leaving the party, he pointedly stated that if they resign from the Parliament, they would certainly be welcome in ELAS. However, in the same interview, he said “no to collaborations with forces that have run their course,” leaving S. Famellos isolated to deal with the fallout.
In any case, political observers commented with a strong dose of irony that the president of SYRIZA, having in his hands the state subsidy, the party-controlled media, and the remaining staff members, ultimately risks leading a peculiar “party club,” which will survive only in name, because it will still have a Member of the European Parliament even after the national elections, but will be completely cut off from society.
