It started with controversy from the same night of the European elections… The request: Change in leadership. A few months later, PASOK voters spoke. The change in leadership is not their choice. THE Nikos Androulakis remains in the leadership of PASOK, as he prevailed comfortably in the final round of the internal party elections of Haris Doukas. Nikos Androulakis beat his intra-party opponent by a landslide and showed that he is the one who gathers the trust of PASOK voters. Nikos Androulakis collected 125,820 votes, against 84,149 votes collected by Doukas, winning the election with a margin of 41,671 votes.

Read HERE the live from the start of the election process to the re-election of Nikos Androulakis

The main charge leveled by the “dolphins” of the presidential race was that PASOK did not take advantage of the losses from New Democracy and SYRIZA, keeping its percentages at low levels. This basic argument was defeated in practice for two reasons:

1) Because while the internal party opponents of Nikos Androulakis accused him that PASOK is not “moving forward”, all the opinion polls already showed that PASOK had surpassed SYRIZA, “securing” second place – according to polls.
2) Because the internal party opponents of Nikos Androulakis were wrong in their assessments of the moods of the PASOK voters, but also the available size of the party.

The estimates of the internal party opposition of Nikos Androulakis that the problem was in the leadership, were rejected by the people. The election result showed that his current voters PASOKbelieve and want to proceed with Nikos Androulakis.

But who is the next day for PASOK? How can PASOK reach and become one competing partyable to claim power? What’s at stake?

The answer is not easy. There are many open areas for discussion.

First, can PASOK return to the top? Does he really have this potential, or should Mr. Androulakis overcome himself and proceed with an opening to other political forces, possibly even with the creation of a new political entity, which will ally the center-left forces? Center-left forces, which, today, appear “scattered” in many party formations. In this light, is Mr. Androulakis ready to make the grand opening?

Secondly, Nikos Androulakis after his victory in the internal party elections, it is assumed that he will lead PASOK in the next national elections, in 2027. In the intervening three years, is Mr. Androulakis likely to be contested again? No one can rule it out, because the stake that has been raised is whether PASOK can return to the government orbit, whether PASOK can increase its forces enough to claim and take over power in the country again.

Is it possible for this to happen? In particular with the data that have been formed during and after the financial crisis. Did some in PASOK overestimate its – at least current – dynamics?

The day after the elections in PASOK shows a party that completed the cycle of questioning, returning to the exact same point – Nikos Androulakis – but with one qualitative difference. Mr. Androulakis is president in crisis.

The bar was set too high. Mr. Androulakis is now called upon to cope with the challenge that he and the rest of the PASOK leadership contenders set: PASOK to claim and return to power.

Therefore, the reasonable questions are:

1) Can PASOK triple its percentages in order to regain power?

2) Are the low percentages, as estimated by Androulakis’ internal opponents in PASOK, due to the leader, the positions or finally to the dynamics of the party as such, as it was formed after the financial crisis? Has the cause become clear, or did it “blur” even more after the internal party elections?

3) Does PASOK express the basis of PASOK before or can it even convince today’s electorate that it can express them?

PASOK went through the process of internal conflict. If he won, if he lost, and if in the end, with the present leadership, he can rise higher and reach the goal that was set, the claim of power, the history of the coming years will write it.

What is certain is that PASOK and its current leadership must listen more to society, its needs, the way it can express them, in order to prove that it can be the other pole in the political scene and become the force that will compete with New Democracy for power.

How did the internal party opponents of Androulakis react?

Duke: I will continue to fight for a party that can govern

Haris Doukas thanked the friends and members of PASOK who supported his candidacy and congratulated Nikos Androulakis on his victory.
“We managed in 3.5 months to make a clean and honest fight without compromise against extreme attacks and to create a strong political current. I will continue to fight for our principles and values, of Democracy, Justice of participation, transparency, accountability with unity, with everyone’s participation for a big, open, strong PASOK that can govern. I will always be here at front line”, said Haris Doukas.

Geroulanos: From tomorrow we start the fight for victory in the next national elections

Pavlos Geroulanos congratulated Nikos Androulakis on his re-election to the leadership of PASOK – Movement for Change and Harry Doukas for his struggle throughout the pre-election period. With his post on social networks he says: “I want to congratulate Nikos Androulakis from the bottom of my heart for his re-election to the leadership of PASOK – Movement for Change. We move forward united, coordinated, determined under his leadership. No asterisks, no spins. I also want to congratulate Harry Doukas for his struggle throughout the pre-election period. The large participation of our members and friends on both Sundays created a political result of dynamics for the Party that becomes even more important in conditions of liquidation of the political scene. Today, an exemplary intra-party process was completed, from which PASOK emerges strengthened, as does its leadership. And from tomorrow we start the fight for victory in the next national elections and the end of the Mitsotakis government. We don’t have a minute to waste.”

Diamantopoulou: Androulakis must proceed to a conference

Speaking on SKAI TV from Berlin, Mrs. Diamantopoulou congratulated Mr. Androulakis. As he pointed out, at this moment there is an opportunity in PASOK. He stated that Mr. Androulakis should proceed to a conference, taking into account – as he said – the new anthropo-geography that resulted from the election result.

He also emphasized that on the way to the conference, Mr. Androulakis should make the first indicative moves on people, attitudes and politicians.

He said, among other things, that the role of Mr. Doukas is equally important, pointing out that Mr. Androulakis does not express 60% and Mr. Doukas 40%

Katrinis: N. Androulakis has the mandate of the citizens to make PASOK great and victorious

Michalis Katrinis congratulated Nikos Androulakis with his post on social networks. “He has the mandate of the citizens to make PASOK great and victorious,” says Mr. Katrinis.

Giannakopoulou: Authorization to Androulakis for a large PASOK

Nadia Giannakopoulou sent an SMS to Nikos Androulakis: “Congratulations on your re-election! The people of PASOK gave you the authorization to proceed synthetically for a great PASOK that will show that it is becoming a Movement of Change and a party with governmental characteristics. In this effort I will always be at the forefront with all my strength.”