Poet the nissan, unsuccessfully trying to hide behind his finger, whoever claims that the dialogue on the future of the Greek Center Left suddenly opened on Tuesday and February 13, 2024 in a theater in Athens, on Patision. Everything else in fact.
Most obviously, the publicity that the event received a few days ago, its turn and outcome testified to something extremely important: that the field and areas of convergence exist without the other. In any case, however, the political background had already been created in order to start – publicly from now on – such a big conversation.
It is now indisputable that the required preliminary work had been done in such a way that in a pivotal, and at the same time more mature, period a first – even if only theoretical – result would emerge. The carpet had been laid. Of course, the point where it is, in the end, possible to reach all this will be clarified in the coming months – after the summer mainly.
Certainly, however, the smoldering spark fanned the fire a little. On the one hand, the suffocatingly full theater, from the first seats to the foyer and the exit steps, and on the other hand, the careful but not clear placements of Efi Ahtsioglou (New Left), Manolis Christodoulakis (PaSoK) and Dionysis Tebonera (SYRIZA) worked -combinatively – as a magnifying glass of the need for the expression of a (calculable) portion of the political world for the formation of a united front against the opposite pole (center-right – right).
As it was clarified, it was the (obvious) starting point of a series of initiatives that must be taken, with all solemnity, by the forces of the progressive arc of the country so as to recover the lost ground and fortify themselves against the conservatism and skepticism that has been structured and is gradually getting stronger, both inside and outside the borders.
It is no coincidence that expressions of the type were heard:
- “political time does not obey the politics of ripe fruit”.
- “more urgent than ever.”
- “we are obliged to discuss”.
- “it is the time of historical transgressions”.
- “progress means an open mind.”
- “the easiest thing is to close ourselves in a glass”.
- “additions not subtractions”.
- “initiatives without petty party selfishness”.
- “we have to make a choice.”
- “what unites us is more than what divides us”.
They have already opened the Papandreou-Tsipras road
It’s been a while since this thought took root in the minds of people who move on the spectrum between the reformist center, social democracy and the modernizing Left. Without falling within the bounds of the organized plan, no one denies fermentations in the foreground or in the background, through which those involved work out conditions and pure terms of such an “alliance”. Such a potential coalition would aim to attract a significant portion of the electorate and at the same time prevent tolerance of existing government policy.
The fact that Alexis Tsipras and George Papandreou are talking about the future of space and politics in general is no longer a secret. Nor was he ever left in the dark, even though there was talk from opposing camps of “conspiracies of losers.” Instead. It is one thing if their meetings are denied, as happened in mid-January, and another thing is that they do not exchange views on the happenings.
This is true and, barring a shocking reversal, will continue accordingly, because both are interested in the present and the future, watching from a distance of their own choosing. The corners that sometimes scratched each other have now been smoothed, the distances between them have been reduced to a minimum.
The differences were forgotten, the conversations began
They can now walk parallel streets and discuss without hesitation, either agreeing (on most) or disagreeing (on others). “He has outdone Thatcher and Pinochet” in 2011 and “Hollandreau” in 2012 on the one hand or the “tactical ploy” for the 2015 referendum on the other, as well as the occasional spikes and targeting for his political stance each of these have also passed through Andreas Papandreou’s “time cabinet” – which (in one way or another) has brought them closer.
It has been more than a year since the two former prime ministers concluded, by accident or not, that their political ideas for the future of Greece and Europe are identical in several respects. It is not forgotten that Al’s shift had already begun. Tsipras, which was completed slowly, with direct shots at the (otherwise untouched for Koumoundourou) “Karamanli” fiscal period and its huge responsibility for the bankruptcy of the Greek economy.
The Council of Europe
It was just after the fall that conditions favored more regular contact. Since the (resigned) Alexis Tsipras was appointed to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, as a representative of SYRIZA and the Party of the European Left, it brought him – literally and figuratively – to the same table as George Papandreou (PaSoK).
The two even co-existed in October in official meetings during their joint presence in Strasbourg, having the opportunity to further open the dialogue between them. They had the option, if they wanted, to be out of the limelight, but they chose not to. They worked in the light.
Tsipras’ international contacts
This was also followed in December by the meetings arranged by the former leader of SYRIZA in Italy and France with personalities of international prestige from the political and social web. His attempt at that time to appear as a resistant figure in the space of the European Center-Left, which thanks to its international connections and the access it had acquired, has the ability to be an equal interlocutor, promoting its positions, was obvious.
In these Al. Tsipras developed reflections and thoughts on various international political and social issues. These include the wars in Europe’s backyard, human rights, immigration, the rise of the far right, the climate crisis and green growth. He also examined how the coalition of center-left forces fared in the neighboring country against Meloni and her allies.
After the end of both, Tsipras had made extensive references to the “challenges of the progressive space in Europe”, to multiple divisions and to the “need to unite the progressive forces”. Because, at the same time, “multicurrency opens the way for the consolidation of conservative forces in governance, but also for the consolidation of the hegemony of the ideas of the Far Right in European societies”.
This is an agenda that George Papandreou promoted and continues to promote for years now through the Socialist International, inviting the progressive forces to a joint action. He always had such a plan in mind to fulfill, because it was the only one he believed had any prospect of progress, and he expressed it in various ways whenever he thought it necessary.
The same conversations between them, at least in their core, were repeated later, with G. Papandreou and Al. Tsipras to expand their circle of contacts, discussing the near future, both always adapted to the modern imperatives of space and time.
Without, of course, mentioning the necessity of creating a new political entity or any personal leadership involvement. No one ignores that KIDISO still exists, while the former leader of SYRIZA has focused on establishing an Institute for the production of ideas and politics which is his priority and reflects him in his entirety.
The Duke as a “siege cordon”
It was a little earlier, moreover, that the two politicians were celebrating – each for a different reason and in a different way – for the fact that Haris Doukas “dethroned” Kostas Bakoyannis from the mayorship of Athens, delivering a strong blow to the bowels of New Democracy . The current mayor of Athens overturned all predictions and with the assistance of Kostas Zachariadis in the second round, he automatically became a model of what can happen, if there is a consensus and a consensus on various issues.
The SYRIZA candidate in the municipal elections was a close associate of Alexis Tsipras and today he is one of the founders of the opinion that it is appropriate to join the European Socialists, since only then will a large part of society express itself.
The case of Haris Doukas is in fact the one that is constantly praised and used as an example. Accordingly, it happened at the event of Ef.Syn. last Tuesday.
One would say that the choice of the persons who made up the panel of speakers was not made by chance either. It was studied in advance who would be most likely to answer the question “who will defeat Mitsotakis”, which resulted in “how Mitsotakis will be defeated”.
The faces of “who will defeat Mitsotakis”
Not that George Papandreou and Alexis Tsipras need mediators or people to speak on their behalf. They both make sure to express themselves as and when they feel like it. They even said from the environment of the former leader of PaSoK that “he was not at all concerned with what was said” in the Alpha theater, as he says whatever he has to say about the future of the Center-Left. The logic in the camp of the former president of SYRIZA is similar.
Beyond this, however, the (ambitious but pragmatic) Manolis Christodoulakis has been associated with G. Papandreou’s environment, even though he clarified his position regarding N. Androulakis, while Dionysis Teboneras often addresses Al. Tsipras in order to consult him on what is troubling his mind and preoccupying him. Very fresh was their last date before the meeting at the Alpha theater, the leak of which was commented on in different ways by different centers.
Also, Efi Ahtsioglou is considered a person who, like the president of the KO of the New Left, Alexis Haritsis, could join a common struggle. She said it with clarity herself that “the era when the Left was in the trenches is over”. This political attitude, which now comes only from the extra-parliamentary part, is no longer expressed because “it is a tested, not a successful strategy”.
The impact on PaSoK and SYRIZA
The final destination of all this mobility will largely depend on the outcome of the European elections. The positions, the percentages, the powers that the parties will retain or lose after the June 9 ballot. The SYRIZA Conference will also have mediated.
It is inevitable that the leaderships of the two main poles that currently mainly express the Center-Left in Greece, SYRIZA (as the official opposition) and PaSoK (as the second force in the opinion polls), keep their distance and not get involved in scenarios of the next day. It is a strategic choice that they will serve until the end by charting their own path.
Androulakis and Kasselakis do not speak
Yes, Stefanos Kasselakis, with his surprise appearance in the debate on the Center-Left, wanted to demonstrate that he cannot stand being on the sidelines and coming second “running” behind the developments, but at the same time he himself cannot sit in the same table as Nikos Androulakis.
The relationship between the two has been limited to the date they arranged after the internal party elections in SYRIZA and since then, wherever they are, they artificially avoid each other. Instead of getting closer, they are moving further apart, with the verbal attacks and characterizations on both sides widening the gap.
Each of them is claiming the hegemonic role in the Center-Left and it is certain that these 110 days that intervene until the next, and last, electoral process of 2023-24 will operate exclusively and only competitively. After all, they are looking for the highest possible result in the pool of the electorate so that on the next day, which, as everything shows, will inevitably come, they will speak from a different base, almost from on high.
That is, in contrast to what is happening between George Papandreou and Alexis Tsipras, who, more aware of what the political scene needs, have found a formula for understanding and are discussing from the same point.
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