SYRIZA’s number of MPs rises to 12 following the resignation of Dionysis Kalamatianos and his relinquishing of the seat for Elis, which he had held since the 2023 election.
According to reports, the next candidate in line in the constituency, Zoe Anastasopoulou, contacted the party’s parliamentary group leader, Rena Dourou, saying she would take the seat (for SYRIZA).
Mr Kalamatianos resigned as an MP early in the morning, fulfilling the key condition set by Alexis Tsipras: that MPs elected on another party’s ticket (that is, SYRIZA) who choose to become independents should give up their seats.
The former MP for Elis had made no secret of his desire to join forces with Mr Tsipras’s new initiative, so resigning as an MP was his only option.
It is worth noting that the day before yesterday, Sokratis Vardakis joined SYRIZA’s parliamentary group as its 11th MP, following the resignation of Heraklion MP Haris Mamoulakis, who is also heading to ELAS.