SYRIZA leader not attending EU commission candidate debate

With pro-voting online campaigns, anti-fascist initiatives and debates for the European Commission candidates, this European elections are starting to resemble the American presidential ones. The American style Commission candidate debates will be taking place in the coming weeks, the first of which is scheduled for April 28 iat Maastricht university and Greek candidate Alexis Tsipras will not be attending.

His absence from the debate has raised eyebrows in Brussels, given that Tsipras' campaigning has been active and aggressive over the past few months. So much so, that the SYRIZA press office had to issue a press release, explaining the reasons why its president will not be present in the debate.

In the announcement, SYRIZA claim that the invite from the university came very late and the president was already committed to a scheduled European tour during that time. “Besides”, the release claims, “Alexis Tsipras is the only Commission candidate conducting a real campaign (not just a studio one) all over Europe, so it makes sense that his availability would not be limitless and the campaign scheduling can't easily change”.

In an attempt to soften the impact of his refusal, the SYRIZA statement points out that its president will be taking part in the central, official debate organized in the European parliament by EBU on May 15. The statement also reminds readers that the response of Tsipras' fellow candidates Schulz and Juncker for a debate in Greece is still pending.