The main opposition socialist PASOK party represents a pillar of security and potential, its leader Nikos Androulakis told the 10th Delphi Economic Forum on its opening day Wednesday.
Criticizing the governing conservative New Democracy party for “not having a plan”, the PASOK party’s head noted that “for a plan to exist, there needs to be a focus on the future, not on the ballot box.”
He told the forum that the government’s actions are all about communication manipulations “of the lowest level.”
Asked to comment on the role of polls, Androulakis said they are a useful political tool but “ultimately, the Greek people will decide which party will govern.”
The struggles of daily life, he said, would determine the result of the country’s next election, citing cost of living, healthcare, education and housing as issues, while noting that “without institutions and justice, all of these are undermined.”
PASOK has largely succeeded in breaking away from the Greek bailout-related troubles that diminished the party’s political influence in the previous decade, Androulakis said, adding that the party’s next goal is to stand on equal footing with New Democracy.
He told the four-day forum that, not too many years ago, PASOK trailed New Democracy by 33%, noting that if his party works to ensure that its “proposals and daily actions in Parliament resonate more powerfully as part of a broader dialogue with society, PASOK will achieve outstanding results – results that will lead to victory over New Democracy.”
A latest Marc poll for Antenna TV, whose results were released last week, put New Democracy in first place at 26.5%, down 2.1 points compared to the pollster’s previous poll in January.
It put PASOK, the main opposition party, in third place with 11.1%, and Zoe Konstantopoulou’s anti-establishment Course of Freedom party in second place, with 13.7% of respondents saying they would vote for her party. [AMNA, Kathimerini]