In the face of governmental collaborations, alliances, and coalitions that presuppose a “small, weakened, and supplementary PASOK,” Anna Diamantopoulou takes a stand, sending a message both internally within PASOK and to other parties.
With her candidacy announcement, Mrs. Diamantopoulou clarifies that any such development is outside her agenda. She argues that such a possibility would be “a serious political mistake” that would not prevent the manipulation of PASOK’s own political existence and prospects. “To have a Great and Governing Progressive Faction in Greece, we need once again a Great and Governing PASOK,” she emphasizes in the declaration accompanying her first statement and announcement of her bid for leadership within PASOK.
Starting today and for every pre-election day thereafter, Mrs. Diamantopoulou is preparing a barrage of public interventions and tours, urging members and friends of PASOK to support her candidacy with their signatures. Her team is optimistic about the outcome of the entire PASOK battle, with the first “stations” being the elections on October 6th and 13th. She believes PASOK can once again play a leading role as an alternative pole in the reconstruction of the political system, stating that this is a contest between progress and conservatism.
“The political and party systems are in transition from fluidity to reconstruction. We will either guide this transition with a political plan in favor of progress, or we will continue ceding ground to conservative forces to the extreme,” she says, signaling a change in current political balances with the core focus on creating a new social democratic faction as the nucleus of progressive politics and social majority.
Regarding the government and Kyriakos Mitsotakis, she asserts that the message from citizens in the European elections was clear: “The government has suffered significant damage, and for the first time in its five-year term, it is heading towards a point of no return. The message to the Mitsotakis government was loud: ‘Your political momentum has been exhausted, the executive state has failed, the deep state prevails, austerity is devouring the income of Greeks, widening social inequalities, and now the country is regressing, increasing deviations from Europe.'”
Speaking about SYRIZA, she describes its current image as “gloomy” and specifically highlights: “After the SYRIZA administration and its subsequent policy from the position of official opposition, apart from the rapid decline in electoral strength, it has created a gloomy image for the left’s identity and politics in society.”
Addressing the internal PASOK audience ahead of the electoral showdown, she outlines step-by-step the agenda of proposals she is putting forward for dialogue, emphasizing the strengthening of the Welfare State with a progressive mark, the consolidation of Greece’s leading role in the European and international community, and the support for young people.
