After bringing his party to the brink of ruin, Fotis Kouvelis has been re-elected leader of the fast-disappearing Democratic Left (DIMAR) that polls show might not make it into Parliament in the next polls.
Kouvelis was chosen again even though a number of his party members were upset he refused to talk with a new center-left group, The 58 Initiative, which is trying to unite Greece’s fractured left.
At DIMAR’s convention, Kouvelis garnered 81.21 percent of the vote. After the results were announced, Kouvelis stated that “after the convention the party is coming out stronger from a rich debate with ideas, opinions and decisions”.
He said that DIMAR would run independently in the upcoming European elections along with any parties willing to cooperate, responding to the criticism voiced from within his party that he shunned The 58, but he’s still not willing to talk with them. He didn’t offer any platform to keep the party alive.
Talking about criticism regarding the possibility of an alliance with current opposition leader SYRIZA, he said DIMAR was formed as a breakaway because, “We left because we had a major disagreement and what we built, DIMAR, reflects the country’s interests. This is still the case and we will not return to SYRIZA”.
SYRIZA is trading leads in the polls with the ruling New Democracy Conservatives of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras while DIMAR is dead last, dragged down after Kouvelis briefly served in a coalition with the rulers and its partner, the PASOK Socialists, backing austerity measures that are antithetical to the party’s principles.
With only 14 seats in the 300-member Greek Parliament, DIMAR is powerless and essentially irrelevant unless it gives its votes to Samaras when he needs them.
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