Greek songwriter Nikos Moraitis weighed in sharply on the recent wave of resignations from SYRIZA, posting a pointed commentary on X (formerly Twitter). His remarks follow the high-profile departures of MP Kostas Zachariadis and former MP Giorgos Karamerou — who stepped down from his parliamentary seat citing a new political initiative led by Alexis Tsipras and the formation of the new party EL.A.S. (Hellenic Alliance for Change).
‘Coats and Toxic Figures’
Moraitis dismissed speculation that all departing figures would automatically be absorbed into Tsipras’s new project. ‘They’ll resign, rush to sign up as ordinary members — and end up left off the ballot,’ he wrote, adding: ‘Here we are — let’s see if this prediction holds.’
He drew a sharp distinction between respected, experienced politicians — whom he acknowledged Tsipras might legitimately want — and others he described more harshly: ‘I’m not talking about the handful of credible, valuable figures who rightly belong there. I’m talking about the “coats”, the toxic little people — and everyone else the public wouldn’t even want to see drawn in caricature.’
A Warning About Assumptions
Moraitis emphasized the difference between two scenarios: one where a politician formally joins Tsipras’s team through agreement, and another where they simply register as rank-and-file members without any such understanding. He questioned whether Tsipras would actually welcome figures like Zachariadis, noting the gap between media headlines — ‘He’s going to Tsipras!’ — and political reality.
He also mocked earlier optimistic claims — circulated by some SYRIZA supporters — that Tsipras had secretly agreed with former party leader Panagiotis Lafazanis (referred to sarcastically as ‘the great mind Famellos’) to absorb the entire faction en bloc. Instead, Moraitis suggested, Tsipras rejected the idea outright — a move he said was already clear from early signals, though apparently missed by those still hoping for inclusion.
‘If you want it so badly, go ahead and sign up as members — just like any ordinary citizen,’ he wrote. ‘Many hope Tsipras will make the big mistake of putting all these scraps forward as candidates. My question is: Does he really need to? He already has dozens of promising new figures — some already making positive impressions on TV and in society; others still developing, but at least generating no public aversion. Is there any reason for him to self-destruct?’