By Penelope Galliou

News, admissions, shifts, embarrassment, invitations and rejections had the six political leaders televised on public television, agreeing, in a civilized “pre-arranged” discussion ten days before the elections, that they all disagree on everything.

The parallel spatial arrangement of the political leaders in the television studio was also reflected during their placements with corresponding parallel monologues, despite the willingness of some leaders to go “out of context” at times and respond to the others’ points, outside of the process.

The news

The first news came from the prime minister’s very first statement and her question Sias Kosionis for the economy, leaving open the possibility, if the pressure on supermarket prices from inflation remains, to extend the “market pass” which ends in July, also for the second half of 2023.

In the news, which is also interpreted as a shift of Alexis Tsipras from the strategic position of SYRIZA regarding the international defense contracts signed by Greece, his relative position is considered, stating that “Obviously we will honor the contracts that our country has signed” maintaining, however, the intention, in case SYRIZA becomes the government, to claim “the possibility on the basis of these contracts to bring work to the Greek defense industry”.

In the same section of national issues, the president of SYRIZA also referred to the issue of the fence on the Evros, stating that “guarding the border is something that is self-evident. And I must tell you that when we were the government and there was a fence, we did not tear it down, nor will we go against the advice of the people who know.”

In fact, Mr. Tsipras emphasized that there must be control at the borders, but he estimated that “immigration and refugees will not be solved with fences. Where they exist, let them exist, well they exist. But the problem will be solved, with a different claim at the European level, with a new migration and asylum pact that will enable Europe to take part of the burden of the first host country” he concluded.

And Nikos Androulakis, however, gave news about the much-discussed revision of article 16 of the Constitution, leaving open the possibility that it would be drafted with the position of the ND, announcing that “we do not stand in the way of the establishment of non-state universities, but a blank check for a revision without having agreed the framework of education in our country”.

Another invitation – challenge formulated by the prime minister concerns the next pre-election period since, the result of May 21 will lead to second ballots, Kyriakos Mitsotakis invited all parties to submit to the General Accounting Office of the State or the Bank of Greece in order to be costed.

Embarrassment

Moments of embarrassment were triggered in the debate by the case of wiretapping, with the prime minister answering the relevant question of Ranias Jima to state “I did not think of resigning, but I courageously accepted my responsibilities,” listing the initiatives he immediately took to clarify the case, assign responsibility, and correct wrongdoing. At the same time, however, the prime minister went on to admit that this case “is a shadow for our government” after previously declaring that “Mr. Androulakis poses absolutely no danger to the national security of the country and should never have been under surveillance “.

On the same subject of surveillance, Nikos Adroulakis spoke harshly several times during his depositions, and on the occasion of the deposition of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, he spoke of an insufficient deposition, adding that “My goal is that those who set up the parastatal and exposed internationally the country”. In fact, he returned to the subject upon his departure from the ERT radio station, with Mr. Androulakis repeating that “Justice will do its job properly and anyone who has harmed the public interest will be held accountable. In Europe, whoever has criminal responsibilities faces them,” he said.

Partnerships

With reference to the post-election partnerships, Alexis Tsipras insisted that the first and third parties can form a government, while he continued to address other than PASOK and the KKE. And he spoke about simple logic – as he said, which “says that we can and must see our programs, based on which we will make convergences, to give a perspective for the next day to the country. And I, indeed, address the progressive forces and I say that simple proportionality can give government.

Primarily based on the data, the first or third party can form a government. And I appeal to all progressive parties, saying that there is a prospect of breathing room for the country on a program that will give breathing room to households by raising wages, lowering prices and regulating debt. I see that there are convergences, I listen and observe the programs of the KKE and PASOK”, said Mr. Tsipras. An invitation that the General Secretary of the KKE was quick to reject a little later, calling on the president of SYRIZA not to scratch the shepherd’s pie and do not look towards the KKE, adding that “We do not enter a government with a muff”.

The door was closed again by Nikos Androulakis, declaring the two-front – as Alexis Tsipras accuses him – and putting a brake on the potential visions for cooperation of both Alexis Tsipras and Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “The goal is to have stability, but with a perspective, not stability with decline and constantly new fiscal adventures,” said the president of PASOK, insisting on the veto of the “unknown X” prime minister. “The veto I’m putting is not personal, we’re talking about people who have been judged and their policies. That is, to say that no house is in the hands of a banker and that billions of loans are in funds and blackmailing thousands of borrowers, or to say that I will build institutions and to make interception parastates,” he declared.

The valuation

The three-hour teleconference between the political leaders nevertheless left a positive impression on the Maximos Palace and in Piraeus as according to government officials, the prime minister was clear, calm even in the difficult questions that were put to him and knowledgeable about all the issues raised by the journalists. As government officials commented, Kyriakos Mitsotakis answered essentially every question, he did not hesitate to admit problems and boldly acknowledge mistakes and omissions while he is credited with keeping intact the narrative of the ND about the positive agenda.

Insisting on low tones, without tensions and outbursts, Kyriakos Mitsotakis focused for most of his positions on the programmatic agenda of the ND, on the pursuits and goals for the future, despite the constant attacks from Alexis Tsipras and Nikos Androulakis , refrained from returning fire, but focused on solutions the next day as well.

Koumoundourou’s assessment of Alexis Tsipras’s impression in the three-hour discussion of the political leaders is also positive, since the president of SYRIZA also remained “faithful” to the pre-election tactics he follows against his political opponents and especially against the government, which is none other than from the attack. He followed this tactic in ERT’s studio “4” by promoting the issues of the economy and trying to highlight the “weak points” of the government’s policy by emphasizing the SYRIZA’s programmatic tripartite: salary increase, debt settlement and price reduction and focusing especially on middle class and the impact that government policy has on this.

Harilaou Trikoupis was also satisfied, considering that Nikos Androulakis was the only political leader who set a programmatic framework with clear answers to the questions, highlighting PASOK’s commitment to move the country into a new programmatic era and considering that the other political leaders were limited either to generalizations either in a game of cheap impressions.

All the political leaders, however, on the only point they agreed on was the call to the youth to participate in the elections and vote.