“We cannot go to the national elections, maintaining the political scene of one and a half parties, which exists to perpetuate the political dominance of Mr. Mitsotakis,” said PASOK’s presidential candidate, Michalis Katrinis, during the presentation of his positions to the Central Political Committee of the party.

Mr. Katrinis spoke about the great and the PASOK’s last chance stressing that “we cannot go to the national elections, maintaining the political scene of one and a half parties, which exists to perpetuate the political dominance of Mr. Mitsotakis”.

He reminded that he is the only one who speaks clearly about a Great Faction that will emerge with PASOK’s initiatives, with openness to all democratic citizens, to all the creative forces of the country. A Great Faction to Rule.

“I know this view is disturbing. And at the same time, those who articulate it, clearly and loudly, are disturbing.

For this, manipulation mechanisms were employed. Mechanisms of discrediting my effort, since the danger for the big interests is the creation of a Big Faction that they won’t be able to control.

Fortunately, on October 6, citizens will vote and decide, not pollsters, not extra-institutional centers and interests.

The vote on October 6 is not only a vote for rebirth and for the creation of a Grand Front that will govern the country independently.

It is also a vote to defend the autonomy of politics from extra-institutional centers and interests. And with it the autonomy of PASOK itself”, emphasized Mr. Katrinis.

He emphasized that:

  • PASOK must send a clear message: that it is not a party with princes, fireplaces or choices determined by interest systems.
  • There is a logic that wants only large companies to exist in Greece, that wants European and national resources to be shared by 5 families. PASOK will either clash with these logics and situations, or it will be trapped in the role of a small and medium-sized party.
  • Some say that they will beat Mr. Mitsotakis, in words of course. Let me remind you that Mr. Kaselakis said the same thing and we saw what the development was.
  • Some others self-promote and present themselves as “Producible”. The more I hear all this, the more I feel that real politics must return to this country, and seriousness must return with it.

“Mr. Mitsotakis will not be defeated by someone who simply says he can defeat him or by someone else who considers himself Prime Minister.

New Democracy and Mr. Mitsotakis will leave power when a real ruling party with reliable and indestructible faces is found opposite them. A large faction that will support the middle class, will talk about social justice and redistribution of income”, emphasized the PASOK President candidate.

Michalis Katrinis referred to the existing risk that in a year from now PASOK will find itself in the same or even worse position.

“If we don’t change, if we don’t realize that the demand of the great social majority is the Great Faction, then in a year at most we will be in the same situation as we are today. In other words, let’s discuss what is at fault and the visible risk of finding ourselves in a more unfavorable situation, since the citizens will not be waiting for us for much longer.

The void created by our own weakness will be filled by some others, and I don’t mean in the center-left space. There are many examples in Europe.”

He also pointed out that some have forgotten that the country’s government is a Parliamentary Democracy, stressing:
“As PASOK, we need a strong parliamentary presence, since the big battles are fought – apart from the field of society – in the parliament.

The country’s polity, for those who have forgotten, is a Parliamentary Democracy and not a Media Democracy.

And to be clear: the office of PASOK President cannot be served with other parallel roles, especially when you ask 13% to be able to claim victory in the next elections. Unless some people think that there is plenty of time for PASOK to become the party of power and the citizens will wait for us until they get tired of Mr. Mitsotakis and will prefer us outright.

After all, we saw it in practice. What did we see? That the deterioration of New Democracy and the collapse of SYRIZA did not lead to the recovery of PASOK.

Those who want a small PASOK of 13 and 15%, a closed and fearful PASOK, those who don’t want anything to change, those who think everything is fine, don’t vote for me.

Those who want a PASOK that does not say and will not say anything in order not to disturb the few and the powerful, should not vote for me.

Those who want a PASOK that will turn into a crutch for Mr. Mitsotakis to remain in power, should not vote for me.

I neither intend to assimilate nor subscribe to these logics.

I am asking to be the choice of those who want a strong PASOK that will take the initiative to create the Great Faction.

I ask to be the choice of those who believe that Greece should return to the Greeks”.

Mr. Katrinis also presented his plan for an open and democratic PASOK with decisions taken by its members as well as a set of program proposals that constitute a program of rupture and hope.