By Penelope Galliou

The second ballot box of the self-governing elections and the upheavals – positive and negative – it caused to party expectations and results, brought them back to the fore once again. the debate on the cooperation of the progressive parties and in his case SYRIZA with PASOK. A conversation that so far emerges and withdraws from the foreground from time to time, but there are always its steadfast supporters to whom new ones are added here and there.

The occasion at this juncture stood on one side the nomination of the new mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, which in the second round, apart from PASOK, was also supported by SYRIZA and on the other hand the simultaneous statement of Giorgos Papandreou who saw this result as the new great opportunity for a call for cooperation towards Koumoundourou. “It is a message that when the progressive forces rally behind a person with knowledge and skills we can do the overthrow” commented the former prime minister, referring to the person of Haris Doukas, who gathered the support of the two parties.

However, it does not have the same position the president of PASOK, Nikos Androulakiswho after the results of Harilaou Trikoupis in the municipal elections, sees after years a dynamic “come back” of PASOK which gives it a new dynamic with a first “stance” in the European elections in May and with a firm goal of PASOK becoming a second policy strength, leaving SYRIZA behind, to deal with the internal party problems that plague him and according to Harilaou Trikoupi keep him away from society.

On the contrary, Stefanos Kasselakisin his statements after the election result he came close to the opinion of George Papandreou, singling out the convergence of the progressive world and observing “This is what the progressive world does when it unites. He expels offspring, motherless, corrupt” as he characteristically said.

The difference of opinion at the level of the leadership of the two parties, it shows the great distance that finally separates them, while also strengthening the bellicosity between their executives. “The point is for PASOK and the other forces of the progressive space to leave the short-sighted logic of party entrenchment and realize the stakes of the time. Unfortunately, the first statements of Mr. Androulakis – in contrast to Mr. Papandreou who, even belatedly, put things on the right footing – turned out to be lower than expected, showing arrogance”, Koumoundourou sources commented. While at the same time Harilaou Trikoupis sources emphasize the unification of progressive forces at the base of society and not in the offices and behind the scenes meetings, as its executives commented.

However, parallel to the difference of opinion between the two leaders, SYRIZA and PASOK, there are also those executives in both parties who go against the leadership line, such as Panos Skourletis who sees from a different perspective the conversation about co-operation that was opened. “It is one thing to form left-wing and progressive alliances and another to merge and transform the Left into a single entity with the Center-Left. I am completely opposed to this view,” said the SYRIZA official.

Respectively Pavlos Geroulanos was also placed against Nikos Androulakis writing with Giorgos Papandreou, but putting an asterisk “As a wish, I think that the statement of Giorgos Papandreou is very correct. But I think things are too fresh to discuss anything.”

The only certain thing, for now, is that both SYRIZA and PASOK, as during the second round of the local elections, they rally against their common opponent, which is the ND government, trying to strengthen their strategy against it in view of their next major electoral goal, which is the European elections in May.​