With the phrase “I think we should meet” it is alleged that Kyriakos Mitsotakis hung up his phone call to Nikos Androulakis, on the same day of his electoral victory, after the internal party elections in PaSoK.
It was the second time that the Prime Minister extended an invitation to the rechristened president of PASOK, as since 2021 when he was elected to the helm of the party, the two men have not “said it” in private, but only through declarations from the floor of the Parliament. A big “thorn” in the relationship between the two men was the wiretapping and in particular the attempt to infect the mobile phone of Nikos Androulakis through the Predator, behind which the president of PaSoK saw the Megaros Maximos itself. Since then, the “interaction” between K. Mitsotakis and the president of PASoK was charged very negatively, as the two did not exchange a word, while they barely conversed in the Presidential Palace, at the celebration for the restoration of democracy.
Three years later, things are different. PaSoK is currently the only political force to which New Democracy could lend a helping hand, it is the only party with which the ruling faction could talk on major issues such as constitutional revision, or seek consensus on person of the President of the Republic. After all, the precedent of the ND-PaSoK joint government does not go back very far in time, and indeed in a very critical period for the country.
However, the first meeting between Mitsotakis and Androulakis took place before their appointment, in the Parliament a few days ago, in the pre-day debate on the fires, where the Prime Minister recognized the president of the PASoK as his main party opponent, while Nikos Androulakis did not seem willing. to give generous concessions to the government camp. In this climate, and while New Democracy appears to be far from self-reliant, the Mitsotakis-Androulakis meeting, which is expected to close within the next few days, is gaining particular political interest.
A political opponent and not an enemy
The government staff point out that the Prime Minister did what he had to do by picking up the phone, congratulating Mr. Androulakis and requesting a meeting with him. “Dialogue is necessary, he is the potential leader of the official opposition – at least in terms of polls – and he must prove himself that PaSoK can appear as a reliable political force, especially at a time when it is trying to make a rebound” says a government source.
To the question of whether there will be an agenda at this appointment, government sources answer in the negative, noting however that Mr. Mitsotakis is willing to discuss all major issues. However, the phone has not yet rang on the part of PASOK, although a move within November is not excluded. After all, the issues that will have arisen can make a good agenda: the American elections, the Gerapetritis-Fidan meeting, the upcoming debate on the budget, are issues that easily fit on the menu of a four or two political leaders, who in fact do not have they ever met in person. “I never get tired of repeating that in democracy we may be rivals, but we are not enemies” repeated in his meeting with the President of the Republic, Mr. Mitsotakis, asking to avoid the toxic speech, “whom our country has paid in the past” as he said, citing as an example what was heard in his election campaign Donald Trump and her Kamala Harris.
Self-reliance strategy
Although with one… eye, the Maximos Mansion is squinting for its possible partner, in the event that self-reliance is not possible, nevertheless the goal is none other than a strong governing majority. In the government staff, the opinion is supported that the two and a half years remaining until 2027 are sufficient to capture the message of the New Democracy policy, to see the steps of convergence with Europe, and to implement the pre-election commitments. “Our strategy now is a strategy of self-reliance and not coalitions” says a close associate of the Prime Minister, insisting that Mr. Mitsotakis “he will not be tempted” of changing the electoral law, lowering the bar of self-reliance.
However, there is no hiding the concern about the rise of the PaSoK in the polls, which in the latest surveys reaches 19% in the vote estimate. The events in SYRIZA, with even a possible split after the congress, are likely to debase the official opposition party, moving voters towards Harilaou Trikoupi and giving PaSoK further momentum. Thus, it is possible that the current 19% or even 20% will consolidate or even rise if the PaSoK manages to be “heard” as a reliable force in the opposition and possibly as an alternative government proposal. Everything shows that the old dipole is reviving, in a fragmented setting on the left and a parallel increase (at least for the time being) of the forces on the right of the New Democracy, a phenomenon that tends to dominate the whole of Europe.
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