“K” chronicles the realization of the defeat of SYRIZA in the elections May 21st, how it was in Kumunduru. Dramatic hours and interpretations of voting results.

Antonis Anzoletou

“Loss is forgiven. Surprised – never. This quote should be included in the centerpiece of Koumoundourou after the previous Sunday’s election. Shortly before the release of the exit polls, Kostas Poulakis was on the sixth floor of the SYRIZA office explaining the trends as they formed to the executives who were to appear on the television panels. And they weren’t good at all. Those who weren’t there connected via Zoom to keep in touch. The difference was 10 units and everything “froze”. The nightmare isn’t over yet…

Around 7.30 pm, a digital system installed in the party offices confirmed that the day that would come for SYRIZA would be the worst in its history. Alexis Tsipras contacted, among others, Rania Svigu and Michalis Kalogiru before returning to Kumundura. Dozens of people began to enter and exit his office, and no one could give any explanation for the very poor result. Reasonable question: In the party in power, no one received messages from the district police that something was wrong? The President wrote his statement and went to the studio on the third floor to record it on tape, without telling anyone about its contents.

Did the President of SYRIZA think about resigning on the evening of May 21st? “It would be impossible not to come to his mind,” his close associate, knowing his temperament, estimated. This confirms what was said the next day at a meeting of the Executive Office and “K” may know. According to the information, the leader of the official opposition explained that it would be unfair, dishonest and also subversive if anyone were to take the reins of the party in this extremely unfortunate situation. “There is no time for depression,” the members of the organization emphasized.

The voters of SYRIZA are closely associated with Alexis Tsipras and the truth is that such thoughts could only have arisen after a strengthened proportional vote, since an adjustment period is needed and a good time gap between a possible succession and elections. He made it clear that he would fight and everyone agreed. At this stage, if other events are “managed”, they will be tantamount to “political autocracy”.

“Sanctions…”

Before the elections, the President of SYRIZA said in an interview that “if a politician loses by six points, then he will obviously face sanctions.” If he loses with a score of “six times three plus two”? Is an autumn or, at worst, a summer convention enough to erase it all? Depending on the content it will have, most executives say. These questions cannot be answered until the “bill” of the second Election Sunday is released. When for the first time the opposition is evaluated worse than the authorities, everything is not so simple.

Umbrella executives, who believe that the circle is complete, admit that “if 20% becomes 27%, we will discuss again.” Another – and stronger – opinion is that “the next day is too late.”

No one knows what Alexis Tsipras is thinking the next day. If he has already made his decisions regardless of the new result. Why even the Umbrella executives (they met for eight hours last Tuesday) who they spoke with “K” and they believe that the cycle is closed for SYRIZA, they admit that “if 20% becomes 27%, we will have to discuss it again. With a parallel, more collective way of running the party.” However, there is another perception in the party – and it is stronger – that “the next day is too late.”

Alexis Tsipras showed a different face at a Central Committee meeting on Thursday. He seemed primed for the next battle, and the atmosphere in his speech, which was not denied by senior executives, was that “mistakes will have consequences.” There is no room for a new “fake”, even if it means restructuring the lists that will be drawn up. K.E. it was preceded by a meeting of the executive apparatus, at which it was decided not to start a dialogue in the highest body, despite the disagreement expressed by Euclid Tsakalotos. It should be noted that the former finance minister, although he headed “53+”, from the very beginning was on the side of the president. According to many, the “silence” in the Central Committee was the first “call” to restraint before the elections.

“We have a room until 9pm.”

Dora Antoniou

Alexis Tsipras’ speech before the Central Committee of SYRIZA was scheduled for 17:00. last Thursday afternoon. The time is 6.30, the most suspicious from real time for such events continue to arrive. Three ladies from the old guard of the party begin to resent: “We asked him to stay, but for an hour and a half … He should have told me to come at 6.30. I would come again. It’s also disrespectful…”

Alexis Tsipras, an employee of Maximos’s apparatus during the premiership, tells me a few minutes later that nothing special should be expected from the Central Committee. “We closed the hall until 21:00. It’s already 6:30, the chairman will speak, not to mention the secretary, someone from the bureau, time has passed … “.

The ladies who introduced the parameter of civic comity into the delay debate, although they should be familiar with party tactics, did not seem to understand that postponing the start of the president’s speech is an option not to leave time for introductions that could “scratch” the very fresh wounds of electoral defeat and cause uncontrollable bleeding. The discussion has already moved elsewhere. “Today is the first day I feel a little better,” one of them says. – What made you feel better? the woman next to her asks. “I decided to go through the stages of grief faster,” the first one replies.

The newly elected member of parliament entering at this moment is congratulated on his election. “Thank you,” she says, almost bewildered, and adds: “Even my mother didn’t congratulate me, everything was covered up by the“ other ”.

“He looks sad”

After a while, Alexis Tsipras appears and is greeted with enthusiastic applause.

“He looks sad,” says a young woman next to me who was a party candidate in the election. A few minutes later, the president calls on the leadership and candidates of the party to “announce the end of mourning.” But what does he think? – the lady next to me is perplexed, having managed to quickly go through the stages of grief.

“I was not one of those who thought that we would win. But I did not expect this, ”the old leader, distinguished by a moderate and serious appearance, tells me. “We all misread, we lost contact.”

The deputy elected in the region is worried not only about the prospects of the party, but also because, in his words, “I will probably lose my seat in the next round, with the distribution of seats under the new electoral system.” However, even he cannot understand the extent of the defeat. “We went door to door. We talked to a lot of people. Everyone had problems. Accuracy, unemployment, electricity, farmers complaining about a disproportionate increase in production costs. And we explained to everyone what we were going to do with all this. And while they, seemed to listen, they went and voted for N.D.” He still looks puzzled.

“Everyone says to me: “Who voted for Mitsotakis?” Who voted for him? Nobody knows, and that’s okay. At the polling station, all the ballots we opened were for ND,” says a young man, a member of the party, almost indignantly at another well.

“All of them and only us”

Alexis Tsipras’ performance ends with excitement. “Hey, what did you expect, it was all of them and only us,” comments the candidate who was not elected, unexpectedly flipping the KKE’s campaign slogan.

As people leave, an experienced party official comments bitterly, “Yes, things are about to change now. Today has changed the rules of the game,” he says with obvious irony.