PASOK to hold leader election in the fall
Socialist party president Nikos Androulakis picks up gauntlet thrown down by doubters
With internal turmoil threatening to tear it apart in the wake of June’s European Parliament elections, socialist PASOK is heading to leadership elections early in the fall, with relevant procedures expected to be launched at Sunday’s crucial meeting of the party’s central committee.
According to reports, the incumbent leader Nikos Androulakis will propose the holding of an electios in October, picking up the gauntlet thrown down earlier this week by Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, who requested November polls.
The current situation cannot “drag on” for long, Androulakis is reported to have noted.
On the one hand, he recognizes that as long as his leadership is doubted, his capacity for political interventions will be extremely limited.
On the other hand, he probably considers that expediting procedures are in his interest, compared to the current mayor, in terms of internal party correlations.
In addition to Androulakis, and the mayor of Athens, whose candidacy has been locked, the leadership is expected to be also contested by Pavlos Geroulanos.
All three appear very close in the preferences of PASOK voters in case of internal party elections, according to a poll (Interview) – 20.9% for Androulakis, 21.5% for Doukas and 18.4% for Geroulanos.
No one, however, excludes the possibility that other candidates will make an appearance – even after the meeting of Sunday’s central committee, with the names of Michalis Katrinis and Milena Apostolaki being mentioned.
Androulakis is expected to call for “clean solutions” – that is, a leader who is a non-parliamentary person.
Doukas has said that even if he is elected president, he will remain in the mayoralty, which means that there will be a dyarchy, probably led by Manolis Christodoulakis, who has already expressed his public support for the mayor.
Officials close to Androulakis have reportedly stated that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis cannot remain without an opponent in the three years that remain until the next national election.
Meanwhile until the fall election, Androulakis will fully exercise his duties.
This means will he will organize the event for the 50th anniversary of PASOK, and will also speak at the Thessaloniki International Fair in September (TIF).
