With the campaign staffs of the candidate leaders “on fire” from intense pre-election activities, the leading intra-party confrontation in PASOK is unfolding. However, the “cadre” of nominations has not yet been finalized, as Anna Diamantopoulou keeps the date of her official announcement open, and last-minute “surprises” are not excluded. This “moment” might arrive in September, unless EDEKAP – the competent Commission for the elections – sets an earlier meeting to finalize the nomination deadlines. The candidate leaders are waiting for the Committee’s decisions but are already planning actions and initiatives, aware that in the “heart” of summer, the interest of party members and friends is limited.
Haris Doukas has already toured Thessaloniki, Katerini, Larissa, and Trikala. Yesterday, he spoke at a meeting of his supporters in Elefsina, and today he continues contacts in the Athens basin with a stop in Byron. The Mayor of Athens is betting on direct communication with people and plans to cover many “kilometers” even in the summer. Pavlos Geroulanos also has a busy schedule of tours, while Nikos Androulakis, who visited Lesbos last weekend, will meet today with the Panhellenic Federation of Food and Tourism Workers. Meanwhile, Nadia Giannakopoulou, Milena Apostolaki, and Michalis Katrinis are intensifying their public engagements and communication with party members, positioning themselves for the first round of internal party elections on October 6.
A key figure in one candidate’s staff, experienced in PASOK’s intra-party clashes, emphasizes the urgency of early mobilization: “It is very early, but to avoid being late, we must start ‘running’ and plowing the ‘networks’ of contacts throughout Greece from the beginning.” The staff of Haris Doukas is operating at a fast pace, planning to continue regional tours in August, depending on the decisions of the Ethics Committee, which received his letter with proposals for the pre-election steps. “The goal should be for the largest possible number of our members and friends to come to the polls, enabling a necessary restart of our political space and creating the conditions for our victory in the national elections,” Mr. Doukas emphasizes in his letter, proposing meetings with all candidate leaders to discuss suggestions and televised debates.
Pavlos Geroulanos focuses on addressing social inequalities and presenting a clear plan for the “next day.” He emphasizes the importance of responding to societal needs and addressing income, wealth, and power inequalities in Greece. Nikos Androulakis, through PASOK’s press representative Thanasis Glavina, highlights the need for policies that address society’s needs, fight inflation, defend the welfare state, protect rights, and strengthen the European project.
