Why are they smiling, Mom? The familiar childish question is reminded these days by the posts of PASOK executives on social media.
They appear to be happily meeting, visiting, participating in events and so on. For example, we saw a photo of Kosta Skandalidis with Panagiotis Doudonis and other executives meeting on how to change the state and institutions, Vassia Anastasiouwith Dimitra Katsafadou visiting a hospital in East Attica and of course the party president in a cinematic video of his visit to Nea Ionia.
Good thing we weren’t hurt, is the message being broadcast, in an apparent attempt to pretend they are unaffected by Alexis Tsipras‘s return. Except that this “logic” may make some sense to get us through the summer and see, but in no way can it hold up in the final stretch to the election.
“PASOK’s message is fuzzy and for all intents and purposes,” Red Cat was overheard saying to his cohorts of a historic party official. The meeting was in a cafe around Charilaou Trikoupis and the participants were all members of the modernist bloc.
Their concern is that by ruling out cooperation with ND (ed: if that is what people choose with their vote, i.e. if that is where the election result leads), Charilaou Trikoupis is splitting its votes between Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Alexis Tsipras.
“This way, those centrist voters who don’t want a return to 2015 are led to the former, while those who see that if they vote for PASOK they will get ELAS, so they prefer to go directly themselves without intermediaries”, the protagonist of our group explained to the others.
“We are trapped and the president’s strategy is keeping us in a deadlock” added one of the interlocutors and left in a troubled mood. “Where are you going?” he was asked. “I’m going to stop by Anna’s,” he replied and… disappeared into the horizon. In the alleys of Exarchia towards Kolonaki to be precise, with the final destination being the Pillars of Olympian Zeus.
Time is pressing
Similar concerns (ed: about Nikos Androulakis’ strategy) are expressed by those who visit Evangelos Venizelos.You see, PASOK was big and grand when it dominated the Centre and extended to the Centre-Right and Centre-Left.
Now that it is confined to the left it leaves the centre to the south-west and falls over the crowding to the left: ELAS, SYRIZA, Pleisi Eleftherias, New Left, MerA25 and maybe “Cat” is forgetting some of them by counting his fingers.
“Vangelis needs to talk to Niko and the two of them together should show up and ask for a rallying of supporters,” one of his good old green sources pointed out to “Red Cat”.
“Time is pressing, Mitsotakis could hold an election at any moment and catch us napping,” he was told with obvious anguish in his voice and on his face. Because some see in the Prime Minister’s little reshuffle that he may even leave open the possibility of elections in the fall.
No one will be able to tell him that he has been caught off guard and will have done so, as it already seems that many of Alexis Tsipras and Nikos Androulakis’s cadres have already got into summer mode.
“He will catch us sleeping and then we will cry” is the fear expressed by several executives in private communications.
In fact, they do not hide this anxiety even in their conversations with journalists, in an attempt to get information about the plans of Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Alexis Tsipras.
But as the reshuffle move showed, the prime minister will push the button when he sees fit. And the president of the ELAS is simply letting the river, sorry time, take executives to his doorstep.
Nikos-Alexis debate?
As Red Cat has informed you, Nikos Androulakis’ staff is intensively discussing how to deal with Alexis Tsipras. One idea that has been floated is to challenge him to a debate. Not, however, in the marble threshing floors of television, but on social media. This prospect is disagreed with by senior figures close to Harilaou Trikoupis.
They point out that the former prime minister already has an army of Internet trolls, so the field is favorable to him. So they prefer television watched by the elderly, who now make up the bulk of PASOK voters.
Change on the go;
With this and this, the voices in the green camp are again increasing, saying “if”, we say “if”, “if there are no elections in the autumn and we continue to see the back of the ELAS, maybe (they say “maybe”) we should consider a change of leadership on the go?” “Forget it, Nikos Androulakis’s people reply, and make it clear that the PASOK president “will go all the way.”
Of course, these heroic easy words are said in June. If – ah, that “if” – Kyriakos Mitsotakis pulls the election back, then the political year will thicken and become heavier. Especially for a party and its cadres who will be watching the backs of their main competitors and, perhaps, feeling the breath of those who (according to the results of the previous elections and the polls) are following them.
Change of times
Red Cat still remembers (ed: just remembers, not reminisces) the times when Nikos Pappas was sought after for company at journalistic, political and business appointments. When he got around safely and hurried out of his car to get lost in secret meetings.
And he makes no secret of the thoughtfulness of his current image. Not being able to say two words in his TV appearances, visibly embarrassed that he was sold out by his best friend (ed: Alexis Tsipras) and, while he was his closest confidant, now treats him like a plum.
Times change, people don’t change, Niko, and you should have understood that. You were there and you saw how he treated Alekos Alavanos, Panagiotis Lafazanis, Yanis Varoufakis, Zoe Konstantopoulou and the other guys. But now it is too late for tears.
