Greece’s main PASOK opposition leader Nikos Androulakis has ruled out the possibility of his socialist party entering a power-sharing government with the conservative New Democracy party.
Speaking on Skai radio on Monday, Androulakis outlined three possible scenarios: either a majority government led by PASOK or New Democracy, a PASOK-led coalition with center-left parties, or a New Democracy-led government with smaller right-wing parties.
Greece saw a change in its main opposition party last November after a wave of defections from the leftist Syriza party opened the door for the center-left PASOK to challenge the dominance of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The opposition shift has revived a more traditional battle for the political center that dominated Greek politics before a 2009-18 debt crisis triggered years of social and political instability.
As the official opposition, PASOK assumed more benefits, including more time for speakers. It aims to use the higher profile to win back voters from Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party, which won elections in 2019 and 2023 but whose support has shown signs of waning in recent opinion polls.
PASOK dominated Greek politics for three decades but support evaporated after 2010 when it signed up to the country’s first international bailout in exchange for harsh austerity.
Syriza was catapulted to power in January 2015 on promises to end the belt-tightening but made a U-turn months later, signing up to Greece’s third international bailout.
The next Greek election is scheduled for June 2027. Current polls suggest that the conservatives would not secure enough votes to form a majority government.
Greece’s opposition says next president should have a progressive background
Asked about speculation regarding the country’s next president, Androulakis declined to comment until Mitsotakis unveils his proposal, which is expected soon.
Mitsotakis appears poised to nominate a new figure for the presidency, currently held by Katerina Sakellaropoulou, in a bid to appease the right-wing faction of New Democracy.
Androulakis said that PASOK’s position is that the president should have a progressive background. He also rejected SYRIZA’s proposal for a joint candidate among the center-left opposition parties, arguing that such a candidacy would ultimately benefit the conservatives.
The President of the Hellenic Republic is elected by the members of the Greek Parliament, where the governing New Democracy has 156 MPs. Early rounds for the election demand 200 votes, later falling to 180 and then 151 votes.
He or she regulates the functions of the institutions of the Republic according to Article 30, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution. However, the individual elected holds no actual executive powers.
According to reports, the current president, Sakellaropoulou, the first female President of Greece, whose term ends on March 13, 2025, remains a potential candidate for reappointment. Other possible candidates include former PASOK Vice President Evangelos Venizelos and the current president of Parliament Constantinos Tasoulas.
Related: Greek Politics Rewinds: The New Democracy-PASOK Dipole Returns
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