Haris Doukas, from under the radar to Athens mayor

When PASOK announced on July 26 that it was nominating Haris Doukas as its candidate for the Municipality of Athens, the usual reaction was “Who is he?”

The 43-year-old National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) professor was basically unknown to the general public and this was one of the chief problems many saw in his candidacy, arguing he had just a short period of time to win the challenge of familiarity, to make the voters aware of his candidacy and to communicate his proposals and vision for Athens.

The limited amount of time was not the only obstacle, as the announcement of his candidacy came just before August – a difficult month to run an election campaign due to the summer holiday lull – and was further curtailed by the commencement of restrictions on candidates’ public appearance on September 6, further limiting his ability to present his views.

What seemed impossible at the end of September, almost a feat, became a reality on Sunday when, in a spectacular political upset, Doukas won the mayorship of Athens. It was a great victory, given that in the first round of the election he had received only 14.19% of the vote, a percentage that secured him entry into the second round, but with a large margin from incumbent Kostas Bakoyannis, who seemed the undisputed favorite after garnering 41.35% in the polls.

The view that the result of one election does not guarantee the outcome of another was emphatically confirmed in the case of Athens, where Doukas achieved what seemed, at the very least, extremely difficult. As of Sunday the question “Who is he?” has an answer: He is the new mayor of Athens.

What seemed impossible at the end of September, became a reality on Sunday when, in a spectacular political upset, Doukas won the mayorship of Athens

Doukas is no stranger to politics but his political path has so far been carried out under the radar. He joined PASP, the youth wing of PASOK, and was among those party officials who responded to the invitation of the late leader Fofi Gennimata to reorganize the party in 2016, taking over as shadow energy minister.

The idea of running for the Municipality of Athens was floated by PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis. Doukas agreed and his candidacy was built on the notion that finding solutions to the problems of modern cities is his main area of expertise. This was also the main strategy based on which he organized his pre-election campaign.

A dense schedule of visits to numerous Athenian neighborhoods was pout together so that he could speak directly with the public and convey the message that he has solutions to propose for the capital’s day-to-day problems – some of which are new and some of which have plagued the city for decades.

Another factor that is believed to have contributed to his success is the choice to avoid making personal attacks against his rivals, but to focus on the city, its problems and the solutions that need to be found.