Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, speaking at the ongoing PASOK party conference Saturday, ruled out any post-election cooperation with the ruling New Democracy party and called for a radical overhaul of Greece’s prime minister-centered system of governance.
Doukas, once and potentially again a rival for the leadership, delivered a forceful speech outlining a “victorious path” for the socialist party and urging it to move beyond the “stagnation of second place” to pursue power, restore the rule of law, and implement institutional reforms.
“Political change must not be a mere slogan but an urgent social demand,” he said, sharply criticizing New Democracy for “opaque and arrogant practices,” including wiretaps and the undermining of democratic institutions. He added that PASOK must do “everything necessary” to prevent Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis from securing a third term, stressing the party’s responsibility to lead the next government and address cases such as the Tempe railway disaster and the wiretapping affair.
Doukas called for a new governance model to curb what he described as the prime minister’s excessive powers, likening the current system to an “elected monarch.” He proposed strengthening the role of the president and drawing a clearer line between executive and legislative branches, including limits on holding both ministerial and parliamentary roles.
He also emphasized protecting public goods, criticizing the commercialization of water and the loss of public control of the Public Power Corporation (PPC), and warning against the “de-Hellenization” of the economy through foreign investment and the sale of strategic assets. To tackle inequality, he proposed taxing large wealth and bank dividends, alongside reforms to decentralize power to local authorities.
Doukas urged dialogue with leftist and green groupings, arguing that broad alliances are key to major reforms, while reaffirming PASOK’s independent electoral course.
He concluded by calling for stronger internal party participation, respect for pluralism, and primary elections to give grassroots members a greater voice.