Unprecedented tremors and a complete reversal of the scene in the left-wing opposition are being marked by the stormy developments within the New Left, as its Parliamentary Group now ceases to exist.
In a coordinated move that changes the balance in Parliament, six members of the party submitted a letter of independence, while Efi Achtsioglou went one step further, submitting her resignation from parliamentary office and paving the way for deep political processes.
A resounding intervention is the personal statement of Efi Ahtsioglou, who, describing the situation of the last seven years in the country, underlined that political change is a genuine popular demand that she does not allow herself to underestimate. She herself expressed her complete disagreement with the strategic choice of the New Left leadership, accusing it of focusing on defending a narrow ideological identity instead of seeking to build a left-wing majority pole. A pole, which, as she noted, would have a real prospect of victory and governance against the right, for the benefit of workers and the popular strata. Characterizing her resignation as an act of conscience, responsibility and consistency, she clarified that she is leaving the Parliamentary Group and surrendering her seat, without, however, withdrawing from active political action.
This withdrawal is not an isolated event, as it was preceded by the publication of a joint text co-signed by a total of 143 party executives along with seven MPs. The 150 signatories speak of a difficult but necessary decision, noting that the political circle of the New Left, which opened two years ago, has definitively reached its limits. In their text, they point out that the logic of the autonomous reconstruction of the radical Left is no longer sufficient in times of deep crisis, at a time when society demands the joining of forces. Their goal is to create conditions for a large political and social alliance, in order to prevent a third term of the current government regime, emphasizing that complete ideological identification is not required for there to be a common course.
At the parliamentary level, the announcement of the independence of MPs Alexis Charitsis, Nasos Iliopoulos, Theano Fotiou, Merope Tzoufi, Hussein Zeibek and Dimitris Tzanakopoulos through a letter to the Speaker of the House, Nikitas Kaklamanis, brings about the final dissolution of the Parliamentary Group. As the group had not emerged from national elections, the rules of the House provided for the existence of at least ten MPs for its maintenance, a limit that has now been broken by the mass exodus. At the same time, the resignation of Efi Achtsioglou brings to the fore Yiannis Dragasakis, who is the next runner-up for the parliamentary seat in the B2 West Sector of Athens. The official announcements of the decisions are expected to be ratified during the next Plenary session.
The New Left’s reaction was immediate, with the party issuing a statement stating that it “will continue”. Although they described these developments as expected, the executives expressed their regret both on a political and comradely level, recognizing that the loss of the Parliamentary Group weakens the left-wing opposition to the Mitsotakis government. However, the statement also included a clear political edge, as it directly and without evasion linked the choice of the departing executives to a broader political movement, specifically stating that their decision is directly related to the founding of E.L.A.S. by Alexis Tsipras.
