Determined to “call things by their name” openly, honestly and without beating around the bush regarding PASOK’s course, Pavlos Geroulanos appears ready to take action. The reasons that led him to this decision have to do with the situation developing for PASOK, as well as the climate he receives from MPs and party officials, who are demanding a change of course here and now before it’s too late for the party’s prospects.
Read: Geroulanos on Parapolitika 90.1: Tempi and OPEKEPE revealed one of the three very major crises the country is going through, the institutional crisis (Audio)
According to sources, PASOK’s parliamentary spokesperson is expected to escalate his interventions in the coming period, simultaneously submitting proposals to overcome the crisis, so that PASOK can make the big leap and play a leading role in developments, which appear to be intense in the next six months, with the emergence of new parties on the political scene.
Geroulanos’ deadline to unstick the “needle”
Speaking on Action24, Pavlos Geroulanos sent new clear intra-party messages while showing once again that he is setting Nikos Androulakis a two-month ultimatum to “unstick” the needle.
“We know that the political system, mainly after Christmas, will find any way to start pushing other solutions on the table,” declared PASOK’s parliamentary spokesperson, noting however the following: “I cannot look the other way if PASOK is not doing well. If certain things have not happened within the time frame we set (i.e., in two months), if the organs are not convened, if we do not proceed towards a substantive congress, then we will have to look at our strategy again.” Pavlos Geroulanos also stated that no official with views and concerns can remain silent.
Geroulanos clarifies he’s not challenging Androulakis – “The congress should not be a party”
Speaking on Parapolitika 90.1 and the show “On Air” with journalist Niki Lyberaki, Pavlos Geroulanos mentioned that there is no intention to challenge the president. “On the contrary, I would say that this congress must be a substantive congress that deepens the program, which we already have and which is a very strong program, and it should be neither a party congress nor a congress of challenge,” noted the party’s parliamentary spokesperson
When asked if there is a possibility that the leadership issue will be raised at PASOK’s congress, he mentioned that there is no intention to challenge the president. “On the contrary, I would say that this congress must be a substantive congress that deepens the program, which we already have and which is a very strong program, and it should be neither a party congress nor a congress of challenge,” noted the party’s parliamentary spokesperson
Speaking about the congress, he asked for it to be substantive, one that deepens the program, which we already have and which is a very strong program, and should be neither a party congress nor a congress of challenge”.
What MPs and officials say
According to sources, what Pavlos Geroulanos says appears to find agreement among many party base officials, as well as most PASOK MPs, who hear from the parliamentary spokesperson’s mouth what they would like to say themselves if a gag order had not been imposed by PASOK’s leadership, under the threat of disciplinary measures against them.
A gag order they are ready to break and speak openly and without beating around the bush about the situation in the party and the functioning of the organs, which, as they say, have been completely devalued by the leadership at Charilaou Trikoupi, with critical decisions being made by a closed group around Nikos Androulakis.
As they particularly point out, speaking to parapolitika.gr, PASOK’s Political Council has not convened since the day after the European elections, while there are very few meetings of the Parliamentary Group, which results in MPs going to Parliament without… a line. The same officials also speak of broken promises by Nikos Androulakis, who before the intra-party elections for leadership selection in PASOK had made his self-criticism, committing to substantial functioning of the party’s institutional organs, if re-elected.
It should be noted that Charis Kastanidis, speaking on Parapolitika 90.1 radio and the show “She and I” with journalists Stella Gantona and Thanasis Fouskidis, emphasized that he is forced to have public dialogue with Mr. Androulakis through radio, as there are no appropriate party organs to discuss internally. “Right now I am necessarily having a dialogue with Mr. Androulakis publicly through the radio because I cannot do it anywhere else. Is there a Political Council of which I am a member to discuss? Is there a Central Committee to respond? By whom was the program ratified? There are no democratic parties without the functioning of institutional organs”.
