ATHENS – With the party on the verge of breaking apart, major opposition SYRIZA leader Stefanos Kasselakis was staring at a censure motion brought by the 300-member Central Committee and a barrage of criticism.

That comes a year after he took over the faltering Leftists who have seen their fortunes getting worse under his tenure, including one group of veterans leave to form their own party and 87 members wanting a leadership challenge.

That so-called Group of 87, aligned with former premier and then party leader Alexis Tsipras, who quit in 2023 after twice being routed by New Democracy, brought the motion against Kasselakis.

A reported one-third of the central committee members went along with it although Kasselakis – who said he wants a new name and new direction for SYRIZA – said the party must “change or sink” and could dissolve over the dissension.

The Sept. 8 vote was to be by secret ballot so that those demanding their voices be heard did not have their identities be known despite openly carping about Kasselakis leading SYRIZA to the center and even the center right.

For censure to be brought it would require a majority of one which, under the current composition of the party, means 148 votes would be needed to condemn Kasselakis and almost certainly bring further turmoil.

If the motion passes, an extraordinary party congress will follow, with new delegates, which will decide on the process of electing the leader. The vote to bring the censure motion passed by 122-90 but Kasselakis said he wanted an open vote.

Besides the Group of 87, Kasselakis is under siege by a key former supporter, provocateur lawmaker Pavlos Polakis, whom he had booted out of the parliamentary group for insulting an aide to Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis.

But Kasselakis then brought Polakis back into the group only to see him turn against him and push for a new leader with supporters of Polakis urging him to be a candidate for the faltering Leftists.

Kasselakis tore into his critics earlier for bringing what he said were unnecessary distractions that have seen its popularity wane so drastically that recent polls place SYRIZA third behind the PASOK Socialists and as low as fifth in another.

criticized the party’s internal factions and accused Tsipras of failing to unify the He He also said Tsipras, who has mostly stayed out of the fray, should have given him support because, “Former leaders typically support their successors,” and said those who want them out should bring a no confidence vote.