ATHENS – Embattled SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance chief Stefanos Kasselakis – whose main opposition has slid into third place in surveys – is not only facing a challenge to his leadership but a proposed name change.

In the midst of turmoil that has seen dissidents walk out of the parliamentary group, a provocative former minister booted and then brought back, and another ousted, Kasselakis is also proposing a three-term limit for lawmakers.

That would require them after the maximum is reached to run in a different constituency although not all lawmakers have to live in the district they represent although they are beholden to party leaders who can eject them.

But the attention for now ahead, ahead of a party congress Sept. 7-8, is whether to change the name – it had been the Radical Left SYRIZA previously – with Kasselakis recommending Coalition of the Contemporary Left.

That isn’t sitting well with critics, adding another distraction as SYRIZA has been overtaken in two recent polls by the PASOK Socialists – whose leader Nikos Androulakis is also facing a challenge to his leadership.

Critics of the name change said Kasselakis, a Greek-American capitalist who has moved the party toward the center and even the right, is trying to further distance himself and SYRIZA from former chief and one-time premier Alexis Tsipras.

Media reports indicated that some SYRIZA Members of Parliament – the party is down to 34 seats in the 300-member body and Kasselakis isn’t one of them, having failed to be elected – want to keep the name Progressive Alliance as well.

Even Nikos Pappas – a strong supporter of Kasselakis, who named him to head the parliamentary group despite having been convicted of trying to sell TV licenses – was lukewarm about a new name.

He told Mega TV that, “I am not very sure that we should be concerned with the issue of the name at the Congress,” while MP Vassilis Kokkalis pointed out that he disagrees with the name proposed.

Kasselaki said the party needs to be a progressive movement and reportedly has not ruled out the idea of the SYRIZA brand remaining, with the Progressive Movement as a second component, seeming to waffle over his initial idea.

There were even reports that the name change won’t be brought up at the Congress with other serious business on the table as the party seeks to regain traction against the ruling New Democracy, which has a likely uncatchable lead in surveys.

Tsipras changed the name from Radical to Progressive after he took whippings in 2019 and 2023 elections at the hands of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, causing the leftist leader to step aside and Kasselakis coming out of nowhere to win.