“New Democracy has lost 13 points of its power. SYRIZA continued its downward course and PASOK went up – not as much as we would have liked, I wanted more, the goal was bigger – but it went up. The reaction of some executives took the spotlight from New Democracy, which is the big patient after the elections, and brought it to PASOK. As president, I had to deal with the issue immediately, with clear solutions. A new era cannot be opened for us and instead of having a strategically strong oppositional role, we start a barren introversion, which would do a lot of damage. That’s why I suggested to the Central Committee that we hold elections in October in order to close this case with unity and perspective”, said the president of PASOK-Change Movement. Nikos Androulakis in an interview with the Mega television station, explaining the reasoning behind his decision to start the leadership election procedures in PASOK-Movement for Change.

“A few years ago, PASOK thought it was going to close down. They had us as a support for the ambitions of New Democracy and SYRIZA. This PASOK no longer exists. I didn’t achieve this on my own. The day before yesterday I said something: I received a comma from the late Fofi Gennimata, I grew it and I will not allow anyone to make it a component of their personal ambitions“, he characteristically pointed out.

“I took over a PASOK, which was around 8%. Today it is at 13%. PASOK has settled its debts. He made organizations all over Greece again. He won municipalities in a lot of cities, he got two districts with people who were in our ideological framework. PASOK has changed its course step by step. Around this time last year, you asked me whether we would go with New Democracy or SYRIZA. Our hard and painstaking work made all these questions of the past. Now the question is: “how will you grow? how will you govern?’

“Autonomy in politics is a compass in my life. No one took me by the hand to make me an MEP, secretary of PASOK, MP, President. I achieved everything with struggle, morals and above all with autonomy. For me, when you are not autonomous from the oligarchy or from interests, then you cannot genuinely serve the Greek people. What I said to the Central Committee and I also say it from your show: I make a motion of no confidence in the OSE’s coppered audios, I unite the entire opposition against the government, after two days I go to the Areopagus and file a report so that the justice can find out how the audios were altered and how they were found in a certain media, and suddenly this media put “black” on PASOK for four months and from the evening of the Sunday of the elections PASOK officials attack me personally from the media in question. I don’t consider it moral and I don’t consider it to serve the autonomy of politics”, underlined the president of PASOK-Movement of Change.

“All the candidates will be judged by the members and friends of PASOK for their decisions, proposals and attitudes” he commented when asked about the internal party election race.

“It is worth suggesting that we become stronger and more useful for the people. I have not heard any criticism of my positions and my proposals, of the seriousness of PASOK. I have experienced other confrontations in PASOK, but they were political confrontations, they were not “you leave, you come”” added Mr. Androulakis.

“I have recently heard them discussing the Antonio Costa phenomenon, who as you know is a personal friend of mine and who is now President of the European Council. I am very happy that a Portuguese with common concerns with the Greek people has this important position in the European institutions. Antonio Costa was mayor for many years and left the Lisbon mayoralty to lead the party in recent months. So it would be good, when we use examples, to be objective” he added.