Is a center-left alliance possible only in Paris?

Will the outcome of the elections in France and the UK trigger a wave of support for progressive forces across Europe as a whole? There are some important differences between the two countries that need to be noted. In the UK, extreme populism and promises of magical solutions were tried and they failed dismally. In France, the threat of a far-right government activated the reflexes of centrist and leftist political forces, which achieved a remarkable turnaround by working together.

Here in Greece, it was only to be expected that the result of the French election would rekindle discussions about the prospects of cooperation in the center-left so as to mount a more effective challenge to the dominance of the ruling New Democracy conservatives. What is interesting about this discussion is all the different interpretations expressed by the interested parties, officials from PASOK and SYRIZA. Such a plethora of views appears to stem from the ambitions of certain party cadres to place themselves at the center of developments so they are well-positioned in the event of a partnership of some kind. What they seem to be saying is that there can be no coalition without themselves playing a leading role. It is a stance that undermines any attempt at cooperation before it even begins in earnest.

Such a cacophony of voices is often the result of a deliberate attempt to drown out a conversation before it even gets off the ground

In any case, everyone knows that no discussion about the future of the center-left in Greece can take place until SYRIZA holds its congress, where it will draw up a new charter, and PASOK completes its leadership race.

Such a cacophony of voices is often the result of a deliberate attempt to drown out a conversation before it even gets off the ground. And the reason is simple: Cooperation between the two parties means changes to the status quo in both, with some cadres having to take a back seat, perhaps even losing their current position or role, without any guarantees that they will be able to successfully reclaim their privileges under the new order.

The expectations of the SYRIZA and PASOK leaderships that the European Parliament elections would allow them to begin talks about cooperation and convergence from a strong position were dashed. What the June elections confirmed was that neither of the two parties is in a position to reach for the top. France may point to a way forward. But even there, it took coming to the brink of disaster for the reflexes that led to cooperation and to victory to be activated.