Positioning PASOK as a viable alternative
Can PASOK position itself as a viable alternative to Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ New Democracy? This will be the central question in the second round of the socialist party’s leadership elections. While incumbent president Nikos Androulakis currently holds the lead, a turnaround by Haris Doukas, the mayor of Athens, is not out of the question. That said, Doukas appears to lack momentum in Athens, where he finished third among all candidates in the first round. It is evident that the public does not support his excessive ambition to claim party leadership after only nine months as mayor of Athens, especially without demonstrating significant achievements in that role.
Should Androulakis be re-elected leader, his primary challenge will be to unite the various factions within PASOK, as evidenced by the multiple candidacies in the first round. Most importantly, he must embrace the two pro-reform candidates, namely Pavlos Geroulanos, who narrowly missed the second round by just 800 votes, and Anna Diamantopoulou. Together, they garnered over 40% of the party votes and represent a strong centrist, progressive faction of PASOK that could attract voters who have migrated to New Democracy.
It is worth noting that Androulakis finished first in nine out of the 13 regions of the country, achieving over 60% support in his home region of Crete. Both Geroulanos and Diamantopoulou placed in the top two positions (27.18% and 25.56%, respectively) in the populous Attica region (and in Thessaloniki), which are crucial for winning national elections. It is important to note that in recent elections, PASOK has showcased two very different faces between urban and rural areas.
If elected leader, Androulakis must leverage his stability, man-next-door appeal and clean political record to move beyond his sterile right-bashing rhetoric and formulate a policy manifesto that aims to strengthen the social state, addresses the pressing issues faced by many citizens, and offers realistic proposals for the country’s economic development and global engagement.
Only by doing so can he address the void in society created by the fragmentation of SYRIZA and the disillusionment of hundreds of thousands of New Democracy voters, reinvigorating a party that has been relatively politically dormant in recent years.
