The president of PASOK-Movement for Change, Nikos Androulakis, blamed Kyriakos Mitsotakis for possible third elections in August, as he said in an interview with “Vima tis Kyriaki”.

Mr. Androulakis emphasizes, among other things: “Mr. Mitsotakis once again surprises me with the blackmail he employs. In essence, he is saying to the Greek people: “Vote for me so that I don’t spoil your August holidays”. But I would like to recall what he himself said. Yesterday in his TV interview he noted that “we could potentially co-govern”. On May 14, however, he declared that he has nothing to do with Androulakis’ PASOK, because we are an anti-reform force. He used to call PASOK “the new social-burnts”. If Mr. Mitsotakis drags the country into third ballots, it will be his choice.”

Mr. Androulakis states that “PASOK has nothing to do with the New Democracy program, because it deconstructs the welfare state, serves 1,000 families in terms of taxation and development, and has insulted the institutions. We are a progressive force and there is no scope for convergence with the New Democracy”.

At the same time, he strongly criticizes Alexis Tsipras, saying that he was unable to live up to the role of opposition officer. “In 2019, and while we had a similar result in the European and regional elections, the citizens trusted him with the role of official opposition. But four years later we can say with certainty that it failed. Against a government that increased inequalities, instrumentalized the EYP, was a champion in transferable and direct assignments, let the ESY collapse, was its golden sponsor”, he emphasizes.

Mr. Androulakis identifies as the electoral goal of PASOK in the June elections to be the reliable opposition that the country needs and to stand in the way of the omnipotence of the ND and Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “The progressive force with its programmatic speech and realistic proposals will stand in the way of the omnipotence of New Democracy and Kyriakos Mitsotakis and will be next to the citizen every day,” he notes.

He criticizes Kyriakos Mitsotakis for deliberately presenting an idyllic image of the economy, saying that it “does not correspond to reality, and attempts to exclude its deeds and commitments from the public pre-election debate. To hide, in a few words, her unreliability and what’s coming.”

Regarding the controversy regarding the involvement of the Turkish consulate in Rodopi, the president of PASOK-Movement of Change commented: “Any attempt to interfere by any third country in the functioning of our democracy must obviously be resisted. It is unacceptable from the outset, it insults our national independence and the functioning of our democracy. This is a starting point for us.

PASOK-Movement of Change was the one that raised the bars in Thrace, paved the way for equal access to higher education and ensured in practice the equality of all Greeks regardless of religion. Such issues, therefore, need to be treated with seriousness and caution. Regarding the latter, I note that SYRIZA did not vote in Parliament on the new framework for selecting muftis.”

Finally, Mr. Androulakis referred to PASOK’s priorities, stressing that “our highest priority is the revival of the National Social Security System, a real reform in Education with the National Baccalaureate, dealing with the threat of the Census, we are comparing our proposals for the 150,000 social housing which will be available for rent with low rent and social criteria, the change of the country’s production model with a development based on Made in Greece”.

“We propose the redirection of the Recovery Fund on the basis of a National Development Plan to support innovative investments with high added value for the economy and society and the interconnection of tourism with other sectors of the economy, such as the primary, so that the positive results are diffused throughout the country and society”, he concluded.