Greek center-left: The long road to unity
The large turnout at a Tuesday evening event that sought to answer the question: “Who can stand up to Mitsotakis’ dominance?” reflects the eagerness of center-left voters to identify a figure that can inspire them.
The surprise election of Haris Doukas as mayor of Athens in the recent municipal elections has instilled hope in many within the center-left that collective action could once again provide progressive political forces with a pathway to government.
But what unfolded during the much-hyped debate underscored the challenges inherent in forging future collaborations between center-left parties.
The Alfa Theater in central Athens was packed on Tuesday evening. After days of bickering since the event was disclosed in Kathimerini newspaper, Dionisis Temponeras from SYRIZA’s central committee and MPs Manolis Christodoulakis from PASOK and Effie Achtsioglou from the New Left took to the stage to try to answer the million-dollar question.
What annoyed both SYRIZA and PASOK was the implication – indirect as it might be – that their current leaderships are lacking. The question implied that neither Nikos Androulakis nor Stefanos Kasselakis are the answer to the question.
They both know that if elections were held tomorrow neither party would come close to challenging New Democracy’s commanding lead. However, as they both vie for the position of the main opposition, they are hesitant to engage in such debates, at least until after the European elections.
For Kasselakis the event was even harder to swallow, as it featured one of the most high-profile SYRIZA members – who happens to be his main inner-party rival – participating alongside Achtsioglou, who played a leading role in SYRIZA’s split only a few months ago.
The SYRIZA leader crashed the event with a theatrical entrance while Achtsioglou was speaking, seemingly attempting to overshadow the other speakers. When asked if he wanted to make a comment, he replied that he already has a representative on the stage, therefore further eclipsing his inner-party opponent.
Essentially, what was said offered no surprises. Temponeras said that “we cannot afford not to discuss publicly an issue that concerns not only SYRIZA, but the entire Greek society: the need for progressive powers to converge.” He added that SYRIZA must play a leading role.
“We are not here to exchange vows of eternal love,” said Christodoulakis, reaffirming his stance that the initiative must be spearheaded by PASOK.
The only participant whose involvement did not generate a buzz within her own political circle was Achtsioglou.
“Political time does not obey the logic of the ripe fruit,” she said, adding that the political force capable of uniting the progressive factions is neither the current PASOK nor the current SYRIZA.
At present, the center-left landscape has expanded with the emergence of the green party Kosmos, launched by MEP Petros Kokkalis on Wednesday. Kokkalis departed from SYRIZA last November, expressing dissatisfaction with the party’’ direction following Alexis Tsipras’ departure.
He said the party aims to offer voters a “green” option in the upcoming European elections, but also to run in future national elections.
The journey toward unity within the center-left remains distant and will likely necessitate difficult compromises, credible counterparts, and more than just PR stunts.
