How does Harilaou Trikoupis “read” the new role of PaSoK –

Table of Contents

• 1 Direct debate
• 2 National issues
• 3 The unsung heroes
• 4 Predicament
• 5 Contacts and tension
• 6 How substantial are these changes in terms of PASOK’s ability ‍to influence policy and hold the government‌ accountable, given ⁤their newfound‌ access to debate,‌ parliamentary representatives, ‍and a diplomatic attaché?

«The stone years have passed.” In this phrase said by a member of the PASoK, in a well he had with a journalist in the corridor of the Parliament, the climate that prevails in Harilaou Trikoupi is vividly reflected.

The previous, barren, 15 years belong to the past and the Nikos Androulakisas leader of the official opposition, turns into a fourth state factor. He leaves from the first floor. He is moving to the ground floor, where the prime minister has his office Kyriakos Mitsotakisbut also the President of the Parliament Konstantinos Tasoulas.

Direct debate

At the same time, he will take the stage right after the Prime Minister. “This is quite important as he will have a direct debate with the Prime Minister. No one else will intervene in the discussions that the two of them will have in the Parliament and Mr. Mitsotakis will not leave. He will stay there to listen to the proposals and the documented programmatic reason of the PASOK. This will be done soon in the debate on the budget” a member of the party says to “Vima”.

Among the special rights recognized by the Parliament’s regulation, through written provisions for the official opposition, are also the three parliamentary representatives, instead of the two that are today. In other words, one more position opens up for a parliamentary representative, with several MPs eyeing to add another title to their resume that will give them an additional role and say within the Parliament.

National issues

Also, PaSoK takes the position of the fourth vice-president in the Parliament and not the fifth that he holds so far. However, what they consider Harilaou Trikoupis to be quite important is that now, as an opposition official, he is entitled to a diplomatic attache, and even a high-ranking one. A high-ranking executive of Harilaou Trikoupi states in “Vima” that “it is very crucial in major national issues and in general in foreign policy matters to have your own adviser” and went on to emphasize how “you have direct knowledge, better information on critical issues than someone who has served in key positions and at the same time you open your field, create new contacts in an industry that few have access to”.

The unsung heroes

PaSoK is also growing “changes track”, as Nikos Androulakis also characteristically said at the last meeting of the SPoK. The unsung heroes of previous years are the scientific partners. Few in number, however, carried a heavy parliamentary load, according to front-line officials. Now that is also changing. The PASoK is entitled to more delegates who will help the Parliamentary Group to function properly.

A historical member of the faction who knows the importance of all the above privileges remembers and explains to “Vima” how “the Antonis Samaras in November 2011, when a transitional ecumenical government was formed with Prime Minister Louka Papademoshe installed non-parliamentary ministers and told those who were ministers to resign in order to maintain the privileges of the official opposition. Then he had resigned Dimitris Avramopoulos by a member of parliament, in order to take over the Ministry of National Defense and he himself remained the leader of the official opposition” he said characteristically.

Predicament

But what does not change is the state subsidy. The general manager of PaSoK Nikos Salagiannis is perhaps in the most difficult position of all in Harilaou Trikoupi, as the requirements are now different. The need for campaigns and promotion is even greater, but the money collected by PASOK remains the same. As his colleagues emphasize, “according to polls, the party is at 20% and we are the official opposition, but we will go to elections with the state subsidy that gave us our previous electoral percentage, which was 11.84%” concluded.

Contacts and tension

On Monday morning, the president of PaSoK, Nikos Androulakis, will go to Thessaloniki, where he is elected as a member of parliament, and there he will hold his first institutional meeting, as head of the official opposition, with the mayor of Thessaloniki Stelios Angeloudis. At the same time, as far as the party is concerned, nothing has changed as the actions they had in the previous period continue by order. This week there will be a meeting of the social partners on labor matters.

The following week, the party’s updated position comes to the fore with a parliamentary manifestation, followed by the climax of the tension with New Democracy in the Parliament with the debate on the budget and the conflict between Nikos Androulakis and Kyriakos Mitsotakis.