ATHENS – The fractured major opposition – but slipping – SYRIZA won’t have a new chief until elections Nov. 24, or a week after if a run-off is needed, the party scrambling in the aftermath of the ouster of leader Stefanos Kasselakis.

He lost a No Confidence vote and was censured during upheaval largely brought by former deputy health minister Pavlos Polakis, who was ejected from the parliamentary group only to be brought back and turn on Kasselakis.

The provocative Polakis had backed Kasselakis when the Greek-American businessman used a whirlwind social media campaign to become the party’s leader in September 2023 when Alexis Tsipras quit after being routed by New Democracy.

But it turned into a disaster for the party that continued to fall in polls and recent surveys showing it is third behind PASOK – whose leader Nikos Androulakis is also being challenged – and even fifth.

Constant tumult and bickering first saw a group of SYRIZA veterans disenchanted with Kasselakis break off to form The New Left and now much of the so-called Group of 87 with ties to Tsipras walking out.

Polakis’ push for new leadership – he said he would be a candidate despite a history of bringing division – led to the censure motion and has seen Kasselakis back away from the public eye for now, uncertain he will try again to be the leader.

SYRIZA will now hold a party Congress from Nov. 1-3 as potential candidates are lining up and if no one wins a majority on Nov. 24 there will be a second round a week later to pick a new head.

But that didn’t satisfy Polakis who said it should have been sooner because the wait would leave the foundering party without a voice in Parliament or politics for more than 2 ½ months, giving Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis no opposition.

“The trauma of SYRIZA must heal quickly with the contributions of its members,” said Polakis, who wanted the elections in early November and with a field of candidates already jockeying for position.

The list doesn’t yet include Olga Gerovasili, who had been the favorite to win in 2023 before Kasselakis came out of nowhere for a surprising victory but others said interested include Member of the European Parliament Nikolaos Farantouris.

Others are lawmaker Sokratis Famellos – who was removed as leader of the parliamentary group after denying reports of a romantic relationship with another lawmaker brought further chaos in the party.

Lawmaker Rena Dourou, who escaped punishment for her role as a Regional Governor during the July 23, 2018 wildfires that killed 104 people, also reportedly is interested as is soap operator actor and former Stylida Mayor Apostolos Gletsos.

In the meantime, SYRIZA is being represented by new parliamentary group leader Nikos Pappas, who escaped jail after being convicted for trying to sell TV licenses when SYRIZA was in power from 2015-19.