Candidates spar over party strategy and past allegiances

The six candidates vying for the leadership of socialist PASOK opposition clashed in a three-hour televised debate broadcast on state television ERT late Tuesday. 

Initial reports suggest that no clear winner emerged from the debate among incumbent leader Nikos Androulakis, former minister and EU commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, MP and former minister Pavlos Yeroulanos, and MPs Michalis Katrinis and Nadia Giannakopoulou. The candidates appeared well-prepared to defend themselves against criticism from their opponents. As expected, none disclosed their plans for what they would do if they did not advance to the second round of the elections.

The discussion began calmly, with some sharp comments and insinuations, but the candidates progressively engaged in heated exchanges and did not hold back. Androulakis’ remark to Doukas – who has previously appeared to draw parallels between himself and mayors who later became national leaders – “You are neither [Francois] Mitterrand, and thankfully not [Tayyip] Erdogan,” provoked a strong reaction from the Athens mayor, who replied sternly, “I don’t understand what you mean. What you did is disrespectful.”

Androulakis, Doukas, and Katrinis criticized Diamantopoulou for not taking a stronger stance against the center-right government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis before announcing her candidacy for PASOK – Androulakis regarding the wiretapping scandal, Doukas on the 2023 Tempe railway disaster, and Katrinis on the prime minister’s so-called executive state style of governance. Diamantopoulou accused them of deliberately distorting her positions.

Yeroulanos questioned Diamantopoulou on how she intends to inspire PASOK in a new era after being absent from the party’s struggles for 12 years, particularly when the party was at its lowest point. The ex-commissioner responded that she has remained loyal to the party, stating, “Others went to SYRIZA, others formed new parties, and others joined New Democracy.”

Another heated exchange occurred between Diamantopoulou and Doukas over the administration of Athens, as she accused the mayor of collaborating with the left-wing opposition party SYRIZA and the far-left group Antarsya and of not adhering to “PASOK positions.” Doukas countered, “I was secretary in the energy sector when you were not in PASOK.”

He also responded strongly to Katrinis’ allegation that one cannot simultaneously serve as PASOK president and Athens mayor. “As head of the parliamentary group, you did not speak with such passion when Nikos (Androulakis) was in Brussels,” Doukas said to Katrinis, referring to the time when Androulakis led PASOK while serving as an MEP in Brussels. Katrinis responded, “You don’t understand the role and the demands of being PASOK president. You know the expectations are high, and you are not being honest with the public.”

Yeroulanos remarked that PASOK’s popularity “evaporated” because, during crucial parliamentary battles, Androulakis was “represented by proxy,” also referring to the period when the PASOK chief was not an elected MP and Katrinis was head of the parliamentary group.

Giannakopoulou also took issue with Androulakis, claiming that he is attempting to present himself as the exclusive defender of PASOK. “You have declared yourself the sole defender of PASOK, as if the rest of us are not? The insinuations must stop,” she said. She also noted that under the leadership of the late Fofi Gennimata, PASOK’s institutions functioned much more effectively.

Katrinis reacted strongly to a question about his stance if he fails to advance to the second round of the elections, calling it “unethical and against institutional norms.”

PASOK’s leadership election is scheduled for October 6, with a potential second round on October 13. Polls currently show Androulakis as the favorite.