Stefanos Kasselakis, a Greek-American entrepreneur and former Goldman Sachs trader, has taken the reins of Syriza, Greece’s opposition left-wing party, with aspirations to become Greece’s pioneering LGBTQ+ prime minister.
The 35-year-old, who previously held an executive position in the shipping industry, was an unexpected choice for the party leadership. Just last month, Kasselakis threw his hat into the ring, announcing his intent to lead Syriza through a social media post. His election on 24 September marked the end of Alexis Tsipras’ tenure, the former prime minister who had steered the party until his resignation in June.
Tsipras had governed Greece from 2015 to 2019, but his tenure was ended by the centre-right New Democracy party, now headed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Kasselakis wedded to an American nurse named Tyler McBeth, is considered Syriza’s inaugural openly gay leader. Among his top pledges is the legalisation of same-sex marriage, should he triumph in the forthcoming general election. Additionally, he has voiced plans to bolster public investment in education and transition Greece from mandatory conscription to a professional military force.
Emerging victorious with 56% of the party’s vote against his contender, lawyer and ex-labour minister Efi Achtsioglou, Kasselakis declared outside the Syriza headquarters, “Victory belongs to the light.” He emphasised, “I represent the voice of the people, not just a fleeting trend. I assure you, I will never let you down. Syriza is here to stay and to succeed.”
While Greece has not yet endorsed same-sex marriage, its track record reflects a growing commitment to LGBTQ+ rights. Notably, in 2022, the nation enacted laws prohibiting conversion therapy, an achievement the UK has grappled with for over half a decade. Furthermore, since its induction into the EU in 1981, Greece has removed the restriction on blood donation from gay and bisexual men and has prohibited non-essential surgeries on intersex infants.
In a recent commitment to progress, PM Mitsotakis has echoed Kasselakis’ sentiments, committing to legalising same-sex marriage and observing that the Greek populace is “increasingly accepting and ready for change.”
