European elections will test new Greek leftist leader

Significance

The new leader of the left-wing Syriza party, Stefanos Kasselakis, has until then to establish himself as Greece’s leading oppositionist. He has not been helped by the fragmentation of the parliamentary opposition to governing New Democracy (ND), with about one-fifth of Syriza MPs splitting away and establishing a new parliamentary group, New Left, on December 6.

Impacts

• Syriza looks more like a political project under construction than a cohesive opposition to ND.
• Other opposition parties to the right and left of ND are too preoccupied with building or retaining their base to offer a clear alternative.
• After the 2010 economic near-catastrophe, continuing GDP growth would make it hard for the opposition to attract even poor or young voters.