With the countdown to the PASOK congress underway, problems at Charilaou Trikoupi headquarters show no signs of abating. This comes despite Nikos Androulakis trying to keep tensions low to avoid triggering a new wave of internal conflict within the party.
It is characteristic that, despite the reactions to moves made regarding party expansion – with at least two figures declaring they have no relation to PASOK, while a storm of reactions erupted over the Pelegrini case, who had previously questioned Anna Diamantopoulou’s work at the Education Ministry – the PASOK president chose not to take up the gauntlet and respond to his comrades about the emerging problems. This despite the fact that those who reacted were not random figures. Charis Doukas, Anna Diamantopoulou, PASOK Political Council member Yannis Meimaraglou, and Nadia Yannakopoulos were among those who spoke on the issue.
All this occurs while Nina Kasimatis has yet to appear as part of the expansion, which represents a red flag for the Papandreou group. Many of George Papandreou’s associates have indicated that if the SYRIZA MP moves to Charilaou Trikoupi, there will be major reactions and the expansion will go up in flames…
PASOK: Konstantinopouos’s attack on Androulakis
The already problematic climate was further inflamed on Wednesday by Odysseas Konstantinopoulos’s statement, who had carefully disappeared throughout the recent period. The PASOK figure, who is known to have very poor relations with Nikos Androulakis, once again attacked the Charilaou Trikoupi leadership. “We wouldn’t be discussing Pelegrini if we were at 20%,” he characteristically noted, while simultaneously suggesting that under current circumstances and the strategy being pursued, PASOK’s electoral goal of winning elections even by a single vote is not convincing. “Is there anyone who believes that someone at 13% (while the other is at 30%) can make the turnaround under these conditions, about a year before elections? I believe things are very difficult for PASOK and, if serious changes aren’t made on many levels, I don’t believe the situation can be reversed. We all know this, and whatever PASOK figure you talk to off-camera will tell you what everyone is saying,” noted Odysseas Konstantinopoulos.
However, at Charilaou Trikoupi they appear satisfied with the interest in congress participation. As party headquarters figures stated, for 3,800 positions that will constitute the congress body, approximately 6,000 candidacies have been submitted. It should be noted that on March 15, elections for congress delegates will take place. Party members will have voting rights in these elections, as well as those who register with PASOK even on the day of voting for delegate elections.
