SYRIZA called for “collective leadership,” said Nikos Pappas, left the party, as did Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou, and is heading toward the ELAS.

The internal power dynamics within SYRIZA appear to be constantly shifting, while developments are unfolding at a snowballing pace.

A new television appearance by Nikos Pappas served as a catalyst within the troubled party, as he did not merely turn against the current leadership, but threw open the door to a comprehensive challenge to the current situation, just as Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou was leaving SYRIZA.

By putting the proposal for collective leadership on the table, the former minister voiced aloud what has long been whispered in party offices, namely that the current balance of power cannot bring about the much-desired turnaround and that the decline in the polls does not do the party justice.

This move, however, is not an isolated one, as a broader plan appears to be taking shape behind the scenes by the rest of the party’s top leaders, who are preparing the complete ousting of Sokratis Famellos.

At the center of the intense criticism is the current president’s strategic choice to present himself as the link to whatever past, with many accusing him of leading with the sole purpose of handing the party over to Alexis Tsipras.

This choice, however, seems to be falling on deaf ears and causing outrage at Koumoundourou, as reports suggest the former prime minister is keeping a clear distance, indicating that he does not want the current “political burden”, let alone get entangled once again in the internal workings of a party that seems to be recycling its own crises, regardless of whether he caused them himself.

Nikos Pappas, not mincing words, sent the message that SYRIZA cannot remain “on the back burner” to serve personal strategies or wait for messiahs. His pointed remark that the positions held by party officials are the result of election, not appointment, was a direct shot at those attempting to impose a peculiar transitional situation.

The countdown to the critical decisions of the next Central Committee meeting on July 11 has already begun, and the battle for the days ahead is expected to be fierce. What is at stake for Mr. Pappas is not merely the party’s representation at the Thessaloniki International Fair, but the very survival of SYRIZA as a party within the so-called progressive camp.

In any case, the rift between Koumoundourou and ELAS appears to be widening significantly, with internal divisions bringing new political tensions to the surface. This time, the statement came from Koumoundourou’s press secretary, Christos Giannoulis, who did not hesitate to describe Alexis Tsipras’s categorical refusal of any pre-election cooperation as excessive.

According to him, this uncompromising stance stands in direct contrast to the philosophy of progressive convergence that the former prime minister himself had championed through the proportional representation system.

The deputy secretary of the Central Committee, Anastasia Sapouna, took a similar stance. Although she acknowledged that Alexis Tsipras’s statements were absolutely clear, she noted that, for his part, there was no mention of the political support that SYRIZA had decided to offer to the new initiative.

Another letter of resignation arrived at the SYRIZA headquarters on Koumoundourou Street, this time from Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou. The former minister emphasized that she cannot conceive of a SYRIZA ticket running against Alexis Tsipras and ELAS, and she appears to be heading in that direction.