Venizelos and Papandreou can no longer coexist

Author: newsroom  | Published: September 4, 2014

Both sides are forced to coexist in order to secure government’s stability, but it is clear that both sides will follow a different path, when the chance will be given

The intense and negative climate between former Prime Minister and President of PASOK Giorgos Papandreou and Vice-President and current president of PASOK Evangelos Venizelos is definite and it seems that the relations between the two men will not improve.

This is obvious following the strong accusations made by Venizelos against the supporters of Papandreou after the incidents that took place during the event for the 40th birthday of the party and it is further reinforced by rumours for the upcoming tour of Mr. Papandreou in all parts of Greece which might start in October.

Both sides are forced to coexist in order to secure government’s stability, as none of them want this kind of crisis. It is, however, clear that both sides will follow a different path, when the chance will be given, perhaps after national elections. Either Mr. Papandreou will form his own party or he will raise the issue of PASOK leadership, regardless of whether he wants or not to be again the president of the party.

Mr. Papandreou’s side believes that Mr. Venizelos is responsible for the removal of Papandreou from his position as Prime Minister accusing him of undermining the efforts of Mr. Papandreou and plotting with Antonis Samaras against him.

Mr. Venizelos replied against all these and expressed his own point of view by saying that in 2007 those supported Papandreou set a conflict against him and he himself managed to preserve the unity of PASOK.

He also said that Mr. Papandreou made ​​a mistake in 2009, since he did not have a plan for dealing with the crisis and led the country to the IMF, without even asking the broader political consensus and that in June 2011 he gave panicky the power to Antonis Samaras and agreed with the participation of LAOS party in the government scheme in November 2011.

Mr. Venizelos also said that Mr. Papandreou creates a negative climate within PASOK and such behavior has no place in the party and he argued that those who supported Papandreou did not vote for PASOK, but rather chose either SYRIZA or Democratic Left.