The modern left for progressive governance
Conversation between Stefanos Kasselakis and LSE's Kevin Featherstone
Across Europe, the left – in its different variants - is facing an electoral challenge. The populist, nationalist right appears in the ascendancy, with predictions for its success in this year’s European Parliament elections. In Greece, SYRIZA rose dramatically to lead the fight against euro-zone imposed austerity. Yet, it lost badly in two national elections last year and the left is fragmenting. How can the fortunes of the left be restored? What kind of unity is feasible and desirable on the left? How can the left avoid further defeat?
Across Europe, the left – in its different variants - is facing an electoral challenge. The populist, nationalist right appears in the ascendancy, with predictions for its success in this year’s European Parliament elections. In Greece, SYRIZA rose dramatically to lead the fight against euro-zone imposed austerity. Yet, it lost badly in two national elections last year and the left is fragmenting. How can the fortunes of the left be restored? What kind of unity is feasible and desirable on the left? How can the left avoid further defeat?
Join us for this conversation between Stefanos Kasselakis and LSE's Kevin Featherstone.
Meet our speaker and chair
Stefanos Kasselakis (@skasselakis) was elected leader of SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance - the main opposition party in Greece - in September 2023.
He was born in Athens and migrated to the United States at the age of 14. Winning the Andreas Dracopoulos Scholarship, he completed the Huntsman programme in finance and international studies at the University of Pennsylvania. As a student, he volunteered for Senator Joe Biden's presidential campaign and joined the Center for Strategic and International Studies. After graduation he worked at Goldman Sachs in Commodities trading and later, he ventured into the maritime industry, founding SwiftBulk, a ship-owning venture he successfully operated and monetised. Proficient in finance, startups, international trade, shipping, and more, he has expertise in entrepreneurship, corporate governance, and ESG issues.
Kevin Featherstone is a professorial research fellow and Director of the Hellenic Observatory at the European Institute at LSE.
More about this event
This event will be available to watch on LSE Live. LSE Live is the new home for our live streams, allowing you to tune in and join the global debate at LSE, wherever you are in the world. If you can't attend live, a video will be made available shortly afterwards on LSE's YouTube channel.
The Hellenic Observatory (@HO_LSE) is internationally recognised as one of the premier research centres on contemporary Greece and Cyprus. It engages in a range of activities, including developing and supporting academic and policy-related research; organisation of conferences, seminars and workshops; academic exchange through visiting fellowships and internships; as well as teaching at the graduate level through LSE's European Institute.
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