PASOK: Androulakis opens a two-front offensive

PASOK celebrated the 52nd anniversary of its September 3 founding declaration with an open-air rally in Heraklion, Crete, in an atmosphere the party framed as a return to another era. At Harilaou Trikoupi, the party’s headquarters, officials hope the event will mark the beginning of a course toward political change.

Crete carried particular symbolism for PASOK. After years away from the party’s column on the political map, the island turned green again, and the party wants that color to spread across Greece. In his speech, party leader Nikos Androulakis described a path to victory built on social alliances and an explicitly independent course.

Androulakis attacked both major political poles. He said Kyriakos Mitsotakis had promised a return to normality but built one of the most centralized systems of power since the restoration of democracy. He described Alexis Tsipras as an “anti-establishment savior” who ultimately sought to build his own system of power and now tries to persuade voters that he has changed.

“Greece needs neither managers of stagnation nor new messiahs. You have been judged, gentlemen. You used the dead ends and anxieties of the Greek people to gain power by deceiving them,” Androulakis said. He presented PASOK as a party with credibility and a plan, arguing that its lack of dependencies gave it the freedom to confront entrenched interests.

The speech also previewed proposals expected in Thessaloniki the following week, including a mechanism to tax the excess profits of oligopolies. Androulakis highlighted affordable housing for young people, protection of primary homes, a return to 120 installments for tax debts, free universal infant and preschool care, stronger collective bargaining, tax relief, a 13th pension and a new EKAS benefit. For farmers and livestock breeders, he cited tax-free fuel at the pump, energy communities, action against falsely Greek-labelled imports and the distribution of European funds to genuine producers.

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Greece needs neither managers of stagnation nor new messiahs. You have been judged, gentlemen. You used the dead ends and anxieties of the Greek people to gain power by deceiving them.