In the aftermath of the major energy agreements at Zappeion, the ruling party is already studying the 2027 election calendar and looking for ways to regroup, while the opposition is preoccupied with other matters: either with the “needle” that will not move, or with Tsipras’s book, which is on the verge of blowing up SYRIZA and the New Left before it is even published—along with the serial drama starring the parachuted-in would-be partners of a so-called “Karystianou party,” such as Nikos Karachalios, Panos Kammenos, and many others…

In New Democracy they have intensified measurements (polling) regarding the “Samaras party,” following the former prime minister’s appearance on ANT1 and the impression he gave that he will proceed, one way or another, with the creation of a party. It is noteworthy that Mr. Samaras attempted with his interview yet another outreach (after backing Panos Routsis’ demands) toward the “Tempe party,” which cuts horizontally across the political system.

The numbers show that the former prime minister has very little penetration among ND voters—barely above one percent according to the latest polls—and attention is turning to an effort to regroup, beginning with MPs from the regions.

The prime minister took the first step with a previously announced stroll into Parliament’s lounge, where dozens of MPs were waiting for him. There Mr. Mitsotakis dropped the line about who will be… spit-roasted at Easter 2027, thereby indicating the timing of the elections and also breaking the… ice over OPEKEPE, which has been troubling New Democracy’s “blue” parliamentary ranks.

There will follow dinners, and Mitsotakis’s tours will also continue, with the sole aim of securing New Democracy’s numbers above 30%–31% in a non-election period.

Stuck

At the same time, in PASOK the side effects of the party’s “stuck needle” have begun, since members realize that under today’s correlations the party may end up electing fewer than 45 MPs, meaning, first, that once again there will be prefectures with no “green” parliamentary representation, and second, that there will be major internal battles in the large constituencies, where PASOK continues to hover at high single-digit percentages, with no hope of electing a second MP.

The opponents of Nikos Androulakis in last year’s leadership re-election place their hopes for a rebound in the party congress, scheduled for March; however, it is certain that in the organizational sphere (and thus in the voting processes) they have absolutely no chance.

The butcher

Alexis Tsipras stated disarmingly that he has accepted he will “take a lot of beating” from his former comrades for what he writes in his book—and indeed, people such as Panagiotis Lafazanis, Pavlos Polakis, and Zoe Konstantopoulou have already publicly shown their intentions.

The question, of course, is who among them gains politically by responding to what Tsipras has written, as he appears in polls to be carving up at least the two parties that emerged after his resignation from the leadership: both SYRIZA and the New Left are being crushed in polling, since within their ranks the issue of aligning with the former prime minister has been raised in one way or another—even though it is not even known whether he wants them as fellow travelers…

The serial

On the other hand, the stance of public silence adopted by Maria Karystianou was not followed by any of her would-be partners in a political formation. Nikos Karachalios’s initial statement about the “Wave” (Kýma), which could evolve into a “Karystianou party,” was answered by… Panos Kammenos, who returned to the public sphere, forgetting his claims of privileged ties with the Trump environment, in order to attack Antonis Samaras. He essentially said that the former prime minister put Karachalios up to saying what he said about a “Karystianou party” so as to divert votes toward himself!

At that point Karachalios responded that Kammenos had proposed to Karystianou that he would hand over to her the ANEL machine—which does not exist—but with… conditions. From the context it appears that Ms. Karystianou herself did not accept the proposals, but the only certain thing is that this serial will have more episodes.