Nikos Androulakis sent the message in all directions inside and outside PASOK-Movement of Change that he will not accept “retaliation and blackmail” and that “everything will be done in accordance with the institutional functions of the party” in his interview with ERT.

Mr. Androulakis stated that he is ready to be evaluated by the base, for the result, the morals and the credibility of his leadership, rejecting the charge that PASOK-KINAL suffered a defeat.

He emphasized that he is not going to allow the discord and poisonous confrontation that happened in the past to return, clearly warning with drastic measures even deletions to those who continue the toxic speech after the decisions of the party organs. As is well known, the Political Council and the Parliamentary Group of PASOK-Movement for Change will meet together on Wednesday and at the end of the month the Central Political Committee of the party where the decisions will be made.

He promised that there he will present specific proposals for PASOK and the restructuring of the broader progressive faction.

In particular, referring to the public statements of PASOK-Movement of Change officials, Mr. Androulakis emphasized: “I have tried all the years, that I have been leading the faction, to set aside attitudes that hurt our unity, our image, our common struggle. Reaching out for unity, transparency and meritocracy in all directions. It really saddens me a lot that some people didn’t even wait for the end of the election process. In other words, while ballots were being counted at the polling stations, something pre-planned appeared in the media”.

The President of PASOK-Movement for Change insisted on respecting the institutional functions of the party and added: “For me, this attitude is derogatory to the essence of politics, because when you think something went wrong, you come to the bodies that are meeting, you say your opinion you and we all find an optimal solution together. But not at the time when New Democracy is sinking, you should do everything you can to take the spotlight from the really big loser of election night and bring him to your party.”

“I will accept neither resalta nor adventures. Everything will be done with absolute respect for our institutional functions. And I’m not saying this now that I’m President of PASOK – Movement for Change, I did it before. We have institutional functions with institutions, with statutes and we will respect them all. We are not a jungle and we will not become a jungle. Nor will we return to the times of discord. We will not return to the days of obsolescence. We will not return to the times of poison in the sothikas of PASOK. I won’t allow it. Everything will be institutionalized. I will tell everything to the Political Council and above all to the Central Political Committee” added Mr. Androulakis.

“There are role models of leadership. If some people don’t like the example of my own leadership, let them say so boldly, don’t spin it around. My own leadership has certain characteristics. I am neither an agent of corruption, nor an agent of games with the strong economic interests of the country, nor an agent of destabilization. I have a programming reason. I work consistently. Communication is subordinated to politics, not politics to communication. So, if some people don’t like this leadership model, let them say so boldly”, underlined Mr. Androulakis.

“My leadership model, compared to those of Mr. Mitsotakis and Mr. Kasselakis, is a deeply political model far from the chronic pathologies that Mr. Mitsotakis paid for in the European elections. I appreciate that what I am building is stable and strong. And it is a great boon for the democratic party. Because above all I have one priority: The citizens, who turned their backs on us and we reached 4%, rebuild a strong and permanent relationship of trust with us. I believe that this type of leadership will be evaluated, compared to other models that may look fancy but my assessment is that they do not help either the faction or the country to move forward.”

Asked about the intervention of the mayor of Athens, Mr. Androulakis commented: “The ambitions of Mr. Doukas are legitimate. Mr. Doukas can be a candidate. I read his interview yesterday where he talked about constant defeats. I want to tell him that PASOK does not have continuous defeats. It started from 4% with the struggle and sacrifices of the late Fofi Gennimata, me and thousands of people who were left in difficult times, it is rising steadily under very difficult conditions. When I took over the PASOK-Movement for Change, it was faced with a question in all the panels: “who will you go with?” With a huge effort, this question ceased to exist in the public debate. Therefore, because we have built many things with great effort, I will not allow them to be torn down. Whoever has ambitions, let him declare himself present. All ambitions are legitimate, but institutionally and politically.”

“We will do everything institutionally. As soon as the institutional dialogue and decisions are closed, whoever comes out with toxic speech, introversion and discord, will be left out of PASOK and I say this boldly. We will make decisions in the Central Committee about the future of the faction. Whoever the next day continues the game of discord and toxicity, will be left out of PASOK” he underlined.

“I am ready to be evaluated at any time and moment again by the base of the faction for the results I have brought, my morals, the program of PASOK and my credibility” he pointed out when asked if he will be a candidate for President of PASOK again.

Mr. Androulakis noted that “they do not want politics in the foreground and strong financial interests, who prefer parties of individuals”.
“I defend my own model against powerful interests. In other words, it is not possible for some media to have hidden PASOK for four months, because they were disturbed by the motion of no confidence, which I filed for the OSE’s coppered audio recordings, and suddenly have PASOK as their first topic. This is not autonomy in politics. I want to tell my dear comrades that autonomy in politics means that when we make decisions to clash, we all clash together. The policy that some of us will fight for the autonomy of the democratic faction and some others will be the panelists and do public relations, I think it does not help,” he added.

Regarding the discussion on the reorganization of the center-left, Mr. Androulakis said: “The space can be reorganized, not with spinners and people who, when they lose the chair, suddenly remember the democratic faction. But with political initiatives, ideas, positions and credibility”.