In a setting of intense confrontation between New Democracy and PASOK, the pending three-year appointment between Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Nikos Androulakis will take place on Wednesday at the Prime Minister’s office in Parliament.

However, both sides agree that it will be a good opportunity to exchange views in person and to feel the potential for understanding the country’s major issues – just before the frontal clash in the plenary session of the House of Representatives on the 2025 budget begins and their staffs are keeping a low profile regarding the one-on-one.

Government officials recall that Mitsotakis had invited Androulakis to the prime minister’s office since December 2021, when he was first elected leader of PASOK. For their part, PASOK officials recall that the interference case and the various election contests intervened, which were far from conducive to a meeting between the two. The re-election of Androulakis last October provided the solution: Mitsotakis called him to congratulate him and renew the invitation to the leader of the third party, who then took over the reins of the opposition.

A modus operandi between the two institutions is necessary for the Maximou Mansion – “It is not possible for the prime minister and the leader of the opposition to be silent,” a government deputy stresses, noting that Androulakis’ attitude is a deliberate procrastination for three years. For Harilaou Trikoupi, institutional functioning is essential and to ensure it, the government of the day must create areas of understanding, especially at times when critical decisions are taken for the country and its citizens. Referring to the upcoming meeting with the Prime Minister, PASOK’s President noted that he is coming with the will to discuss in detail the major issues of the country such as foreign policy, the course of the economy, precision, demography, the housing crisis and the rule of law. In short, he expects a comprehensive discussion, despite the existing disagreements with his “main opponent”, the leader of the New Democracy.

Experienced parliamentarians believe that the prime minister will reasonably raise the issue of an understanding to support positive reforms in parliament, although ministers and “blue” executives have recently classified PASOK and its leadership in the category of “green SYRIZA”.

Climate of non-consensus

At this point, Charilaou Trikoupis states that “there is no coalition opposition” and poses the question to the Maximou whether it intends to adopt PASOK’s proposals that are positive for society as a whole, such as the amendment it tabled on nursing staff.

In any case, the appointment may unlock a mini-knock on the prime minister’s intentions in principle for the election of the President of the Republic and the profile of the person he will propose, as well as on the “operation” to revise the Constitution that will start in the new year and which requires a consensual climate to be completed. The Prime Minister has made it clear in all his public interventions that the issue of the Presidency of the Republic will be opened in due time – i.e. from January onwards – and that the choice of a person who can secure broader support adds prestige to the institution (it should be noted that the 155 MPs of the New Democracy are enough to elect the President of the Republic).

Androulakis has also sent a message that the person proposed by the prime minister and president of the center-right party must have a center-left profile. The information also says that if Mitsotakis decides to propose a center-right presidential candidate, then Mr. Androulakis will present his proposal for the Presidential Palace – as the late Fofi Gennimata did in 2015, proposing Nikos Alivisatos over the ND’s proposal for Prokopis Pavlopouli (which was not voted for by then ND MP Kyriakos Mitsotakis). Against the backdrop of the Constitutional Review, Androulakis intends to take the initiative on the election of judges, but also to “clarify” the party’s position on Article 16 and private universities.

Winning streak

What is certain is that the central political priority of the leadership of Charilaou Trikoupis in the new treaty has to do with PASOK’s effort to get on a victory track against New Democracy. “I will do everything in my power, I will go all over Greece, I will talk to the society, we will be next to the citizens, we will do excellent parliamentary work every day so that we can be a party that will both see eye to eye with New Democracy and can beat it”, is the phrase that Mr. Androulakis, wanting to respond to those who leverage scenarios of cooperation or joining PASOK MPs from SYRIZA.

The goal of the PASOK leadership is to exert persistent and documented pressure on the government to change its policies by accepting the proposals of Harilaou Trikoupi. It has tried and will try again by submitting new amendments to the Parliament. The ‘unveiling’ of this strategy took place the day before yesterday with the amendment on the inclusion of nurses and employees of the EKAB in the heavy and unhealthy category, while in the coming days, it will bring two more amendments. One will be on the Golden Visa freeze in municipalities where there is a rapid increase in rents and a second on the over-taxation of bank excess profits.