ATHENS – The major rival SYRIZA’s parliamentary group leader Sokratis Fammelos – who denied being in a romance with fellow lawmaker Dora Tsambazi – was replaced by Nikos Pappas, who received a suspended sentence after being convicted in a TV license sale.

The change came as the Leftists are in upheaval over challenges to leader Stefanos Kasselakis that could see another election coming, Pappas taking over from Famellos who refused to step down.

Pappas won election by a vote of 17-12 and with four abstentions in the group that can’t be headed by Kasselakis because he failed to be elected to Parliament before winning a vote to lead the party when former premier Alexis Tsipras stepped down.

Fammelos refused to resign and called for the vote which saw Kasselakis taking part via Zoom from Crete where he is preparing for his Greek wedding to his spouse, American nurse Tyler McBeth.

The two had to go to the United States to first get married because Greece didn’t have sex-sex marriage – Tsipras didn’t bring it when he was in power – until Prime Minister and New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis got it passed.

The change in the parliamentary group was seen as Kasselakis trying to keep control over an open rebellion that has seen more dissidents leave – but stay in the party – after others walked out in 2023 and formed their own party, the New Left.

“I am determined to move forward on a new path of extroversion, shaping a modern SYRIZA for its members, for society, and for the people,” said Kasselakis who had been backed by Pappas after the former minister withdrew his bid.

Earlier, Pappas supported a collaboration with the center-left PASOK Socialists, which Kasselakis didn’t and has maintained his position in the SYRIZA hierarchy despite being convicted over  what a Special Court said was a plan to take over the media when the party was in power.