There is a strong likelihood that the event marking September 3rd and PASOK’s 52nd anniversary will be held in Heraklion, Crete, with PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis reportedly approving the proposal. While some within the party argue that Athens would be the more prudent choice — given that PASOK has lost a significant portion of its electoral influence in the Greek capital — Androulakis appears to favor Heraklion for two key reasons: it is his hometown and birthplace, and perhaps more strategically, it allows him to get ahead of Alexis Tsipras on his own regional turf. In essence, what Androulakis has in mind is to make his move before his perceived rival for second place in the polls takes the stage at the Thessaloniki International Fair.
PASOK: A question of timing
With Kyriakos Mitsotakis set to speak at the Thessaloniki International Fair on September 5th and 6th, Androulakis — scheduled to address the fair the following weekend, on September 12th and 13th — reportedly believes that Alexis Tsipras, as leader of a non-parliamentary party, will attempt to steal the spotlight one day ahead of him, just as he did in 2025. Last year, Tsipras spoke at an Economist conference the day before the Prime Minister. By rallying a large and enthusiastic crowd in a major regional city, Androulakis is hoping to generate his own momentum — some serious aura farming — and set the tone for what he plans to say at the Thessaloniki International Fair.
There is also another point worth noting — not as a strategic argument, but as a response to internal skeptics: PASOK has held this particular event outside Athens before. In 2019, Fofi Gennimata chose the city of Larissa as the venue, combining the celebration with seminars focused on agricultural policy.
