SYRIZA in its statement emphasizes that its seat belongs to the party. Specifically it states:
“SYRIZA-PS, by order of its President, Stefanos Kasselakis, proceeded to delete Ms. Athina Linou from the KO for reasons of transparency.
The 25,000 votes that Mrs. Linou received as a SYRIZA candidate were never disputed.
Ms. Linou avoided providing the clarifications and data requested of her, which she continues to do with her statement today. As is known, it is an inalienable right not to incriminate oneself…
When she was sworn in as a member of parliament, she signed the regulation of the SYRIZA PS parliamentary group, which explicitly states that the seat belongs to the party and not to her.
Earlier, Athina Linou gave a harsh response to Stefanos Kasselakis with her announcement, whom the president of SYRIZA urged to resign and hand over her seat.
Among other things, in her statement, Ms. Linou accuses the President of SYRIZA, Stefanos Kasselakis, of participating in Mr. Polakis’ malicious slanders against her, acting as an uninvited judge. The member of parliament for the Northern sector of Athens also states that she is not going to accept a non-existent guilt for the Prolepsis institute and wonders when the president of SYRIZA managed to read the 459 pages of evidence that prove the impeccable as he points out its management.
Athena Linou’s announcement
“Dear Mr. Kasselakis,
You asked me today through the Director of your office, Mr. Kapnisakis, to resign from my position as an MP of the SYRIZA-PS party, allegedly citing a lack of transparency in my work and already making relevant public statements. In this way you are asking me to accept a non-existent guilt. Obviously, this is not possible for me to do. You also understand, of course, that in this way you are admitting that you are participating in the malicious slanders of Mr. Polakis against me, acting as an uninvited judge.
And it’s a wonder when you got around to reading the 459 pages of evidence proving the impeccable management of Prolepsis to make your morally and logically meteoric claim. So I am informing you that I am not going to resign as a member of the Greek Parliament, nor to surrender the seat that was given to me by my 25,000 plus voters”.
“I feel relief – SYRIZA is turning into a Polish party”: Linou’s first reaction after her deletion
Relieved, she stated that Athens Linou feels after the decision of Stefanos Kasselakis to delete her, while in her first public reaction she also emphasizes that SYRIZA is turning into a “polar” party.
“I gave enough leeway to Mr. Kasselakis to decide what kind of party he wants to lead, and he decided that the party he leads will turn into a ‘polar’ one,” he said, among other things, in a post he made on social media. “For my part, I continue to believe that a broader democratic left movement is possible and I will continue to work for it,” he added of the stance he chooses to take.
Athena Linou’s Facebook post in detail:
“In May 2023, over 25,000 of my fellow citizens honored me with their vote. It was the largest number of votes received by any of the current SYRIZA-PS MPs. These fellow citizens of mine, as well as the thousands of citizens who believe in the democratic left, I assure that I will continue my parliamentary work. Personally, I am relieved that I can finally get back to the issues that concern us all: mental and physical health for all, labor rights and support for the most vulnerable, environmental policies and universal child feeding across the country. I can finally get back to making a meaningful opposition to the government, with criticism based on data, experience and sensitivity and the real values of the left.
My deletion from the Parliamentary Group of SYRIZA-PS is clearly a choice of Mr. Kasselakis between me and Mr. Pavlos Polakis. Despite the fact that 460 pages of information were delivered to Mr. Kasselakis, on Friday, on which he has not informed me of even the slightest irregularity to confirm Mr. Polakis’ slanders, and despite the fact that for the non-existent accusations of alleged illegal direct assignments from the Region of Central Greece, there is already a relevant decision of the Major Composition of the Court of Auditors which has irrevocably judged that the whole of the procedures were in all respects legal, he proceeded to delete me.
Mr. Polakis has admitted and clarified that the only reason for his continuous slanderous and completely untrue and obsessive attacks against me was to defend himself, i.e. to protect himself and his position in the party. I note with regret the downward course that Mr. Kasselakis has chosen for SYRIZA-PS. Unfortunately, I gave Mr. Kasselakis enough room to decide what kind of party he wants to lead, and he decided that the party he leads will turn into a “polar” one. However, I am certain that the disastrous course of the current Polakis/Kapnisakis/Kasselakis party will sooner or later stop. For my part, I continue to believe that a broader democratic left movement is possible and will continue to work for it.”
Athina Linou out of SYRIZA’s KO – Kasselakis new points for Tsipras
Athina Linou was kicked out of the SYRIZA Parliamentary Group on Wednesday 8/28 at noon. The relevant letter of the deletion of Athena Lynou from K.O. of SYRIZA, reached the president of the Parliament, Costas Tasoula. In the letter it is noted that following a proposal by the president of SYRIZA, Stefanos Kasselakis, Athena Linou is excluded from the parliamentary group of the main opposition party.
“Following a proposal by the leader of the official opposition and president of SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, Stefanos Kasselakis, the member of parliament B1 of the North Sector of Athens, Athena Linou, is placed outside the parliamentary group of SYRIZA-PS”, stated the letter of Nikos Pappas, which from on Tuesday night he is the head of the SYRIZA parliamentary group.
The president of SYRIZA in a post on social media earlier noted, among other things, that “We are looking all day for Athina Linou to ask her to resign and hand over the seat in order to facilitate the party. Her partners are aware. He doesn’t answer. Therefore, I requested the deletion of Athena Linou from K.O. of SYRIZA -PS. Her resignation is now a personal (and political) moral issue.”
A little earlier, in less than an hour, Stefanos Kasselakis launched a new attack against Athena Linou, at the same time leaving spikes against the former president Alexis Tsipras.
In his post, almost immediately after his televised interview with MEGA, Stefanos Kasselakis noted “how the economic activity of Athens Linou should have been investigated for possible shadows before its inclusion in the SYRIZA ballots”, a clear tip towards the former President Alexis Tsipras.
He wrote in detail:
Transparency and the fight against corruption and involvement are non-negotiable values for us. After all, these constitute a significant difference between the Left and the Mitsotakis system.
But in such matters one must be fair, do research – even time-consuming – and not operate under any pressure or the weight of public opinion.
I asked for an explanation from Athina Linou about the case of AMKE Prolepsis.
The information he provided us created more questions and doubts than before. My office has asked for further clarifications and information, which have not been provided until today, which is the day the Parliament opens.
We have been looking all day for Athina Linou to ask her to resign and hand over the seat in order to facilitate the party. Her partners are aware. He doesn’t answer.
Therefore, I requested the deletion of Athena Linou from K.O. of SYRIZA -PS.
Her resignation is now a personal (and political) moral issue.
To be clear: I am not a prosecutor. I am speaking purely politically.
And politically, economic activity with looming special purpose companies combined with a series of direct mandates is inconsistent with the principles of SYRIZA.
On the contrary, direct assignments, which the ND government consistently uses as a vehicle to squander public money, are a red line for us.
The economic activity of Athens Linos should have been investigated for any shadows before its inclusion in the SYRIZA ballots.
For me there is no dilemma between personal sympathy and necessary political action.
As there is no dilemma between a lost seat and a Left without shadows. As I committed yesterday, SYRIZA will change. And it will change radically into a party of the members, the citizens, the society. Unfortunately, big changes require difficult decisions. And temporary political decay. But for me the river does not turn back. The leap forward will be made at any cost.
Transparency and the fight against corruption and involvement are non-negotiable values for us.
After all, these constitute a significant difference between the Left and the Mitsotakis system.But in such matters one must be fair, do research – even…
— Stefanos Kasselakis (@skasselakis) August 28, 2024
Speaking on Live News, Stefanos Kasselakis, when asked about Ms. Linou, said: “Her explanations have not covered me and my office has asked for her resignation and the facilitation of handing over the seat. He has not responded to anything, no phone calls, no sms and no whatsapp. We await her response. The request we have made is on record, it is clear that she must hand over her seat to the first runner-up. Responding to messages whether by phone or text is a minimal sample of responsiveness that should be present at this time.”
Regarding the case being investigated, Mr. Kasselakis said: “I am not a prosecutor but there are things that should have been investigated before its inclusion in the SYRIZA ballot and this is a message that we should be prepared” .
SYRIZA: Polakis is celebrating for Linou
Pavlos Polakis commented on the latest developments with information about imminent deletion of Athena Linos from the SYRIZA Parliamentary group.
The MP of Chania in his post on social media speaks of “justification” while not showing that with this development he will back down on the plan to overthrow Kasselakis:
“What can I say now….
JUST JUSTICE!!
(and a lesson to those who thought they found the opportunity to mess with me… inside and outside…)
WE CONTINUE FOR DEEP CHANGES!!
OTHERWISE MITSOTAKIS AND THE ULTIMATE STATE OF CORRUPTION AND SELLOUT WILL NOT FALL!!”.
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#SYRIZA #Linou #seat #belongs #party
