Stefanos Kasselakis, the leader of Greek main opposition SYRIZA, is starting his brief military service in an army barrack in Thebes on Friday. He is due to receive basic military training for 20 days.
Military service is mandatory for all Greek males. Kasselakis had been exempt from military service as he was residing in the US since age 14. When he returned to Greece he had two options: Spending six months in the military or serving for three weeks and buying off the rest of his time.
While it has a sizeable number of professional troops, Greece’s military is still conscription-based, with service in most cases set at 12 months.
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“Proud to do military service in Thebes”, Stefanos Kasselakis says
Before entering the army barracks he was welcomed by the locals in the the central square of Thebes, who offered gifts and good wishes. Some said it was their honor to have the leader of the opposition in the town.
“It is an honor to be here to serve my country as an expatriate who has returned to contribute to his country,” Kasselakis said.
Earlier this week he posted a video on TikTok having an “army-style” haircut. The video begins with Kasselakis holding his dog, Farley, and saying “I’m going to miss her”. The hairdresser asks how he would like his hair done and he replies: “SYRIZA,” which in Greek means very short, to the roots.
When asked about the parting of his hair, he says “Toward the left, where my heart beats.”
The turbulent leadership of Stefanos Kasselakis
Kasselakis, 36, a former businessman without political experience who is gay, was the surprise winner at the SYRIZA elections held last September.
He took the reigns of the party a few months after the catastrophic election results in June/July 2023 that forced former leader and former PM Alexis Tsipras to resign.
His meteoric rise to leadership had upset many leftwing traditionalists who accused him of “right-wing populism” and authoritarian practices.
On 23 November 2023, 9 Members of Parliament (MPs), 1 Member of the European Parliament (MEP), and 57 central committee members declared their departure from the political party in protest of Kasselakis’ leadership.
Notable figures among them included Effi Achtsioglou along with other former ministers. A few days later previously resigned MPs Euclid Tsakalotos and Peti Perka joined forces with the 9 MPs to announce the establishment of a new political entity called “New Left”.
More recently amidst political turmoil and disagreements regarding Kasselakis’ approaches and agenda, MPs and members of the central committee of SYRIZA initiated a rebellion against Kasselakis’ decision to conduct a survey asking the party’s voters whether SYRIZA should alter its name and ideological focus.
Related: Stefanos Kasselakis: The Rising Star of the Greek Left
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