Everything That Happened in the Debate: Renationalizations, Prostitutes, and Sharp Words About Kasselakis

The debate among Apostolos Gletsos, Pavlos Polakis, Sokratis Famellos, and Nikolas Farantouris, candidates for the presidency of SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, unfolded as a largely lackluster event. It lacked strong programmatic proposals or groundbreaking ideas.

By Georgia Sadana

However, there were moments when tensions rose dramatically, especially when the name of Stefanos Kasselakis was mentioned. The candidates also attempted to highlight each other’s weaknesses through pointed questions.

The exchanges between Pavlos Polakis and Sokratis Famellos brought a “hard rock” vibe, particularly when Famellos accused Polakis of past decisions that incurred collective costs. Famellos also challenged Apostolos Gletsos to clarify his controversial statements regarding prostitutes.

The debate lasted over two hours, with participants struggling to adhere to time limits and maintain decorum. Pavlos Polakis, in particular, interrupted his fellow candidates on several occasions.

The political tension reached its peak when Famellos criticized Polakis for his stance on legislation for same-sex couples. Polakis, in turn, attempted to pressure Famellos on issues such as the renationalization of PPC (Public Power Corporation) and energy resources.

Sokratis Famellos opposed the proposal for two Vice Presidents in the party, an idea put forth by Nikolas Farantouris, who also did not rule out resigning as an MEP. Farantouris emphasized the importance of restoring the party’s lost credibility.

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Mr. Polakis emphasized the importance of the debate, stating, “We will engage in a programmatic confrontation, and I believe each of us will present our vision for SYRIZA in the days ahead.”

He went on to highlight the necessity of closing the “traumatic period” the party has experienced, expressing confidence that this will be definitively achieved with the conclusion of the process on Sunday.

Watch the debate:

Apostolos Gletsos, arriving for the debate, stated, “We want people to come to the ballot box on Sunday.” The SYRIZA leadership candidate emphasized, “We seek trust—each of us—so we can demonstrate that SYRIZA is back in action, ready to fight for society and for every Greek citizen individually.”

He added, “We need to have a dialogue among ourselves and with society, so we can address political issues and the problems people face, allowing us to be heard and regain their trust.”

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Gletsos on wind turbines: They don’t produce energy because they lack batteries.

“We have 5,000 wind turbines, and the energy they produce is neither stored nor utilized because they lack batteries,” stated Mr. Gletsos.

Mr. Polakis corrected him, clarifying that the issue is not the turbines’ production of electricity but the lack of storage capabilities. Mr. Gletsos agreed, acknowledging the clarification.