Vasilis Kokkalis has resigned from his seat in the Hellenic Parliament. Elected as a SYRIZA MP for Larissa, Kokkalis announced his resignation in a formal letter, stating he would hand over his parliamentary mandate. He described his decision as a direct response to recent political developments and clarified that he intends to remain active in public life—just not within parliament.
‘A Clear and Conscious Decision’
In his statement, Kokkalis emphasized that the move was not easy but was ‘clear and conscious,’ explaining: ‘The current political conditions no longer allow me to remain in Parliament pretending that nothing has changed.’ Unlike several other SYRIZA MPs who have opted for independence while retaining their seats, Kokkalis chose full resignation—including surrendering his parliamentary mandate.
No Immediate Seat Loss for SYRIZA
As a result, SYRIZA—at least for now—does not lose the seat outright. It passes to Ioannis Karipidis, the candidate next on the party’s electoral list for Larissa, who will decide whether to accept it.
Continuing the Fight Outside Parliament
Kokkalis stressed that stepping down from Parliament does not mean stepping away from public engagement. ‘I will continue the struggle from other ground—within society and alongside those fighting for dignity and justice,’ he said.
He called for urgent restoration of institutional normality, rebuilding citizens’ trust in democratic institutions, and meaningful reform of Greece’s political system. ‘What we need is a new political beginning—one grounded in transparency, accountability, and respect for democracy,’ he added.
Looking ahead, Kokkalis affirmed his commitment to this work ‘without holding office and without personal preconditions.’
Fourth SYRIZA MP to Resign
Kokkalis is now the fourth SYRIZA MP to resign outright—following Giorgos Karameros, Katerina Notopoulou, and Symeon Kedikoglou. Earlier today, Olga Gerovasili, Miltos Zamparas, and Dionysis Kalamatianos announced their departure from the party’s parliamentary group through independence—a path already taken by more than a dozen others, including Andreas Panagiotopoulos, Giorgos Psyhogios, Nikos Gavrilos, Haris Mamoulakis, Alexandros Meikopoulos, Marina Kontotoli, Popi Tsapanidou, Kostas Barkas, and Kalliopi Vetta.