ATHENS – There’s been no further word from Greek-American businessman Stefanos Kasselakis after being ousted as leader of SYRIZA after being censured, but he reportedly mulled stepping aside earlier after pressure from his family.

Stelios Kouloglou, a former SYRIZA Member of the European Parliament who joined dissidents in breaking away to form the New Left, claimed that Kasselakis was so disappointed in the European Parliament elections he wanted to quit.

“Mr. Kasselakis was disappointed with the outcome, as he had anticipated a better result … he explored the possibility of retiring from politics or finding another job in case he was removed. He even spoke with a media businessman about potential opportunities for collaboration,” Kouloglou told Attica TV in an interview.

It wasn’t said how he knew that or if he had spoken with Kasselakis then, after or now in the wake of the party in further upheaval and whether there will ve a comeback attempt, which would be at odds with what Kasselakis was said mulling.

Kouloglou, a former journalist and documentary filmmaker, also claimed that Kasselakis, who married his American partner Tyler McBeth in Crete in late August, was urged by his family to give up politics.

“He is also facing pressure from his family to step away from the situation he entered,” Kouloglou said. It was a whirlwind year as head of the party for Kasselakis who was often accompanied by his now spouse McBeth in public.

Kasselakis tried to change the direction of SYRIZA more toward the center-left – or, even, as critics said, toward the center-right given his capitalist background – but that brought rebellion, creation of the New Left and disaffection.

He was also accused of being authoritarian, not listening to the members of the party who disagreed with some of his policies and actions and of not being aligned with the party’s alleged principles, often broken in the past for political expediency.

From the start, Kasselakis’ past and style rankled with party cadres. A former Goldman Sachs employee and shipowner and onetime registered Republican, some of his positions, such as advocating stock options for employees, incensed the old schoolers who accused him of wanting to turn SYRIZA into an ideologically vague party. They mocked his heavy use of social media and called him Trumpian.

But this meant nothing to a party base that idolized Kasselakis and expected him to rejuvenate the party. He easily saw off his loudest detractors, including his main leadership rival. They formed another party, New Left, which has fared poorly. Then, Kasselakis started picking fights with many of those who remained.

In last June’s European elections — without much at stake domestically and amid record abstention — the ruling conservatives’ vote share plunged, but it was the far right that mostly gained. SYRIZA’s vote share declined further.

Electoral failure damaged Kasselakis’ aura and his supposed attractiveness to voters. Criticism, and Kasselakis’ pushback, intensified, leading, almost inevitably, to the no-confidence motion.

(Material from the Associated Press was used in this report)