By Antonis Anzoletou

The battle of the center has changed. THE SYRIZA it failed through the progressive governance and simple proportionality it enacted in 2016 to dominate the space. PASOK stubbornly refused to cooperate and Alexis Tsipras delivered the party to 18% in 2023. The sequel is known with the collapse of SYRIZA changing the facts – at least for this period – giving the “baton” to the green camp again.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Nikos Androulakis will fight, as current data shows, for the middle ground in which New Democracy dominates from the 2019 elections onwards. The battle will be tough and not easy for the president of PASOK despite the fact that the last two opinion polls bring him a breath away from the psychological limit of 20% and with the difference with New Democracy falling to single digit percentages. Is it the first enthusiasm that favors Harilaou Trikoupi and the fact that they managed to complete a very successful electoral process? What is certain is that Nikos Androulakis is also being helped by SYRIZA, which has become the best “feeder” of the parties of the center-left with its fall in the polls.

In PASOK they will try to trap her New Republic to her right to gain more space in the center by repatriating many of their voters. The moderate public especially disaffected by the government’s economic policy is the easiest target at the moment. In New Democracy, they will not sit idly by and will emphasize policies and programs with broad social impact in the coming period. PASOK will be faced with a dilemma as to whether it should maintain a hard opposition stance demanding even more or whether it should acquiesce in certain cases. They have already clashed over ASEP, while yesterday they also disagreed over the Ombudsman with the government not obtaining the required 3/5 majority at the Conference of Presidents.

If the split of SYRIZA takes place after the congress or the elections and o Nikos Androulakis if he officially becomes the official leader of the opposition then the boost he will get will be greater. The fight that has started for the center field may be the reason why the four of the two captains has not yet taken place. Each side throws the “ball” at the other and so far the only dates between the two were their confrontation in Parliament last week and the handshake they exchanged at the BSE general assembly. The election of the next President of the Republic at the beginning of the year will not be left out of this “battle”.