Under pressure from polls, the president of PASOK returns to the familiar formulas of benefits and promises with no substance.
When the poll numbers drop, the “money trees” bloom. This seems to be happening at Harilaou Trikoupi as well, where polling pressure is driving Nikos Androulakis into a competition of benefits with the youth vote as the prize. The new announcement regarding universally free public transportation (public transportation) for all young people up to age 24 is more reminiscent of an old-school campaign pamphlet than a serious governance proposal. Because as easy as it is to promise free services to hundreds of thousands of citizens, it is all the more difficult to explain who will ultimately foot the bill.
Somehow like that, the discussion shifts from whether PASOK has a convincing plan for the economy, productivity, and the creation of better-paying jobs, to who can distribute more benefits to more voters. And as polling pressure intensifies, so does the sense that at Harilaou Trikoupi they are attempting to rediscover the lost formula of easy promises. Except that political experience has shown that free tickets, blanket benefits, and announcements without clear funding may bring temporary headlines, but struggle to convince a society that has paid dearly for the “money trees” of the past.
When the polls are tight, promises multiply
Nikos Androulakis is following this pattern as he plays his last card, given that PASOK is under pressure from the polls, New Democracy’s lead, and the return of Alexis Tsipras. Thus, he is attempting to regain the spotlight with benefits, and a new announcement appears every week. Now the political debate has turned into a bidding war.
The most striking thing is not the announcement itself. It is the timing. For months, PASOK has been talking about seriousness, institutions, and responsible governance. Now that the polls are showing losses and the pressure is mounting, the old, familiar formula is back: promises to as many social groups as possible in the hope of a political comeback.
Young people certainly wouldn’t say no to free tickets. Just as no one would say no to lower taxes, higher wages, or more affordable housing. But politics is judged when the time comes to pay the bill. And so far, Harilaou Trikoupi seems very eager to hand out benefits, but far less eager to explain where the money will come from. Because money trees may yield headlines and applause, but they usually do not produce government credibility.
