Days before a pivotal Central Committee meeting — set against the backdrop of former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s political re-emergence and shifting dynamics on the centre-left — MP Nikos Pappas sent a clear message: SYRIZA will run in the upcoming elections with its own distinct political identity and an organised presence.
Alliances, Not Absorption
Pappas, representing Athens’s Southern B3 constituency, stressed that while SYRIZA needs electoral alliances, they must not come at the cost of dissolving or suspending the party’s functioning. Speaking on ERT News on Thursday, 9 July 2026, he said the party must reassess the new political landscape following Tsipras’s interventions and the formation of his new political initiative.
“We cannot do politics like blind flies,” Pappas remarked, underscoring the need for clarity, decisive action, and a coherent strategy. He also hinted at concerns over Tsipras’s approach, noting that a political force cannot operate through personal negotiations alone.
Pappas dismissed scenarios involving SYRIZA’s dissolution or ‘freezing’, pointing out that no official decision authorises such a move. He recalled the Central Committee’s June resolution, which calls for alliances — but with SYRIZA-led ballots featuring coalition partners.
“There will be a proposal aligned with the decisions of the party congress and Central Committee: alliances with those who are willing and able — under a SYRIZA ballot listing both SYRIZA and its allies,” he stated.
Collective Leadership as a Priority
Pappas advocated for a model of collective leadership, arguing that the party’s past years suffered from a lack of shared responsibility and coordination. He cited the pre-dictatorship United Democratic Left (EDA) as an example — a party that rose to become the official opposition through disciplined, collective operation.
No Contact with Tsipras
When asked about his relationship with Alexis Tsipras, Pappas confirmed he has had no communication with him since Tsipras left SYRIZA. “It was a choice I disagreed with,” he said, adding that he still identifies with the party’s programme and political platform.
Economic Policy and Critique of ND
Pappas argued that current opinion polls misrepresent SYRIZA’s standing, suggesting that a unified and coordinated campaign could significantly improve its public image. He reiterated SYRIZA’s position in favour of reducing VAT and indirect taxes, noting the party’s proposal is fully costed.
In response to New Democracy’s Adonis Georgiadis — who referenced Tsipras in recent remarks — Pappas accused ND of attempting to discredit the entire 2015–2019 SYRIZA-led government. He added that the current ND administration “carries a scandal on its back every week.”
Condemning Political Exploitation of Violence
Pappas also addressed the fatal attack in Thessaloniki, calling it an “abhorrent crime.” He rejected any attempt to politicise the incident, stressing that such tragedies must not be instrumentalised — and that assigning blame without due process is unacceptable.