The Democratic Movement has officially expelled Evangelos Antonaros from its ranks, prompting a fierce public response from the former member. In a social media post announcing his removal, Antonaros launched a scathing critique of party leader Stefanos Kasselakis, accusing him of authoritarian leadership and criticizing the lack of democratic process within the party.
Antonaros referenced the seven anonymous members of the Ethics Committee and suggested they had studied the political tactics of former figures like Papadopoulos and Pattakos. He condemned the leadership style as one of ‘apofasizon kai diatassomen’ — a phrase meaning ‘we decide and command’ — typically used to describe autocratic governance.
In his statement, Antonaros expressed disappointment in what he described as the hypocrisy of a party claiming to champion direct democracy while allegedly practicing personality cult politics. He wrote, ‘Democracy needs backbone. It requires people who don’t hide behind institutions or leaders who preach direct democracy but practice idol worship.’
He concluded by saying, ‘I leave him with his Rouvikonas and in the embrace of PASP-ASOEE and its offshoots,’ suggesting that Kasselakis’ political alliances were compromising the party’s integrity. Antonaros also predicted a drop in the party’s popularity, forecasting it would soon fall below 1.5% in polls.
The official letter from the Regional Committee of Ethics, Mediation, and Certification dated July 3, 2025, confirmed the unanimous decision to remove Antonaros from the party registry under article 19.5 (section d) and 19.8 of the party’s statutes.
This development comes amid growing tensions between Antonaros and Kasselakis, with the former openly expressing dissatisfaction over the latter’s leadership approach in recent months.