The first high-profile departure from Koumoundourou’s leadership structure was recorded today, Monday, with the departure of Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou, a member of the Central Committee and the Political Secretariat of the party.
The former minister and former MP announced, via the Internet, her resignation as a member of the party, making clear her intention to enlist in Alexis Tsipras’s ELAS.
The full statement:
“In my speech at the recent meeting of the Central Committee, on June 6, I referred to the need for clear positions at a time when the social majority is suffering from government policies and the progressive camp, the center-left and the left are being plagued by fragmentation.
I also mentioned that after the election of Sokratis Famellos, with the initiatives he undertook, as well as collectively through the decisions of SYRIZA-PS, there was a serious effort toward convergence of the progressive and left-wing forces which, however, did not find the corresponding response a year ago, and in practice was judged and overtaken by political developments and pressing social needs.
In my speech at the Central Committee I stated that the initiative of Alexis Tsipras and the formation of ELAS create a way out and hope for the progressive and left-wing world, open the prospect of a progressive government, and I stressed that I cannot conceive that there could be a SYRIZA-PS ballot against Alexis Tsipras and ELAS.
From 2018 until today, in government, in Parliament and in the party, I always tried to act institutionally, collectively and constructively.
At critical moments, there is no room for pretextual compromise positions.
Now is the time for clear solutions and bold transcendences.
With a sense of responsibility and consistency with what I support, I declare that I am leaving SYRIZA- PS.
The political and social need requires rallying for a strong progressive – left-wing pole that will once again express a majority current of Political and Social Change!”.