Democratic Byzantium?

Is it possible for the Byzantine Empire to become republican/democratic, probably with a POD in the Zealotry-movement in Thessaloniki?
Any Ideas or is this ASB?
 
this is very-very difficult, if not imposible, since the political ideology of the Byzantines had to be changed massively.

But even if this happened, it would be too short-lived, since such a change in the political organization would have not the time to stabilize. On the contrary, a democratic/republican Byzantium would survive even less than IOTL....
 
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