The birth of a party from a leadership schism

Society · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In late 2024, a major rift in Greece's Syriza party gave rise to a new political movement. What began as a leadership struggle over ideological direction resulted in a formal split, creating a new center-left entity that sought to redefine its own identity through public participation.

The creation of Democrats – Progressive Centre (formerly Movement for Democracy) on November 23, 2024, was a direct consequence of internal friction within the Syriza party. The catalyst was the leadership of Stefanos Kasselakis, who was elected to succeed long-time leader Alexis Tsipras following disappointing election results in May and June 2023. Kasselakis attempted to steer the party toward the political center, a strategy that proved polarizing enough to trigger several party splits, including the formation of New Left.

Internal power struggles eventually led to a crisis within Syriza's central committee. Key officials attempted to oust Kasselakis on charges of "autocratic behavior." When he was subsequently barred from running in the new leadership election, he was expelled from the party. This expulsion prompted the launch of a new initiative, where the party's name was eventually opened to a public vote before being unveiled as Kínima Dimokratías.

The party's evolution continued into 2025, with the formalization of internal structures in April. During this period, the movement joined the European Democratic Party (EDP) on April 10, 2025. In May 2025, Kasselakis solidified his leadership by winning the party presidency with 96.8% of the vote against challenger Elias Michalakopoulos. The party adopted its current name, Democrats – Progressive Centre, in 2026.

Currently, the party is working toward establishing an official parliamentary group, which requires a minimum of ten MPs. While the party currently has only one member sitting as an independent in the Hellenic Parliament—Evangelos Apostolakis, who is associated with the party but not a formal member—several other former MPs have affiliated themselves with the new movement.

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