The movements on the internal party chessboard are rapidly developing between the two PASOK leadership candidates ahead of the final battle for the leadership this coming Sunday.

With the second round just hours away, Nikos Androulakis and Haris Doukas are moving swiftly to establish clear strategic objectives, secure necessary alliances, reach out to the other four candidates, and present a convincing narrative to various party factions about the day after the internal elections. Mr. Androulakis enters the campaign with the momentum of a clear lead from the first round and appeals to the four candidates who did not advance, pledging to involve them all. His rival, on the other hand, is going into the second-round battle with less favorable odds — following his weaker performance in Athens and a fourth-place finish in Attica — and is working on improving his image. Both have already communicated with the other four candidates from the first round. The result of these communications includes today’s meetings between Pavlos Geroulanos and both Mr. Androulakis at 11:30 am and Athens Mayor Haris Doukas at 1:00 pm in parliament. They have also spoken with Anna Diamantopoulou, Michalis Katrinis, and Nadia Giannakopoulou, while their teams are engaging in a fresh round of outreach across Greece, urging party members and supporters to mobilize for Sunday’s vote.

Debate

A crucial intermediate stop will be the televised debate on ERT. The timing and format of the debate depend on the outcome of discussions between representatives of the two candidates. Mr. Androulakis, who had initially requested an open and substantial dialogue in the first round, has already accepted Mr. Doukas’ proposal for the debate, and his team is currently negotiating the day and format with representatives of the Athens Mayor’s team. Mr. Androulakis’ side suggests holding the debate tomorrow, a day when the Athens City Council is scheduled to meet under Mr. Doukas’ chairmanship. Meanwhile, Mr. Doukas’ team suggests Friday, as they consider Thursday problematic due to the scheduled Nations League match between Greece and England.

Key meetings

The fact that Pavlos Geroulanos, one of the main figures in the internal battle, chose to publicize his meetings with both candidates shows his desire to maintain transparency and avoid the appearance of backroom deals. Mr. Androulakis, in his communications with his fellow candidates, congratulated them on a civil contest and emphasized the importance of unity moving forward so that PASOK can continue its upward trajectory. Mr. Doukas hopes that through these meetings, he will expand his alliances, although he is aware that the four eliminated candidates are unlikely to explicitly endorse either remaining contender.

From first to second round

In the first round, Mr. Androulakis, as expected from the polls, finished first with less than 30% of the vote, while Mr. Doukas narrowly secured second place, with Pavlos Geroulanos coming close in third. The suspense over the second-place finish lasted several hours. Mr. Androulakis led the first round with roughly 10,000 fewer votes than in 2021, giving him an eight-point lead over Mr. Doukas. The coming week will determine whether he can confirm or defy predictions of a comfortable re-election as PASOK leader.

Voter participation

Turnout exceeded expectations, with 303,223 PASOK members and supporters casting ballots, more than in 2021. However, there was little evidence of significant voter participation from outside PASOK’s core base. Mr. Androulakis secured 89,288 votes (29.64%), Mr. Doukas 64,490 (21.41%), Pavlos Geroulanos 63,632 (21.12%), Anna Diamantopoulou 58,809 (19.52%), Michalis Katrinis 18,163 (6.03%), and Nadia Giannakopoulou 6,890 (2.29%).

Looking ahead

As the second round approaches, both Androulakis and Doukas are maintaining a unifying tone. Mr. Geroulanos, despite narrowly missing the second round, declined to request a recount. Anna Diamantopoulou spoke of a “significant starting point for a creative journey,” and both Michalis Katrinis and Nadia Giannakopoulou encouraged voters to make independent choices.