Harry Doukas

Nikos Androulakis, responding to Haris Doukas and his observation that one of the conclusions of the first round is that 70% request a change of leadership, emphasized that both, as engineers, know mathematics well. And that based on the logic of Mr. Doukas, 80% of Sunday’s voters stood against his own candidacy. It was one of the first fights on the way to next Sunday’s polls, others will follow.

Let’s go back to math. In the first round, Nikos Androulakis received 89,288 (29.64%) and Haris Doukas 64,490 (21.41%). Their difference is 24798 votes. With this wind and a clear difference, Nikos Androulakis enters the race for the second round. There is another number. The total votes received by the other 4 candidates. It is 147,494. So, indeed, the game is open. Where the votes of the other contenders for the leadership end up will decide the final result.

The crucial 63,632 votes

There are two certainties. The first is that, publicly, neither candidate will offer open support. The second that in the second round there is always less participation. In the 2021 elections, 270,706 had voted in the first round and 207,658 in the second round. The estimate that exists is that the participation next Sunday will move to approximately the same levels as in 2021. About 200 thousand voters will go to the ballot box.

Which voters are most likely not to participate? The assessment of experienced executives is that a quantifiable percentage of Mrs. Diamantopoulou’s voters will not go to the polls. And those who go, as it is said, will probably strengthen the candidacy of Nikos Androulakis. The voters of Michalis Katrinis are estimated to be closer to Haris Doukas of Mrs. Giannakopoulos as well. All eyes are on the large pool of 63,632 votes of Pavlos Geroulanos. Their political behavior will give the final result. This is also the reason why Mr. Geroulanos accepts the narrow labeling of both Mr. Androulakis and Mr. Doukas.

Androulakis tactician

The president of PaSoK after the result of the first round appears as the favorite of the match. Mr. Androulakis contacted his co-candidates, had a good word to say to each of them and has chosen these days to appear as “the quiet strength of unity».

The message he wants to get across is that under his leadership the PASOK “will continue its steady upward course” he undertakes that the members and friends of the PASOK that “if I am honored next Sunday, I will do whatever it takes for PASOK to meet its new limits, which are much larger than in the past».

Mr. Androulakis appears ready for “corrective moves” by acknowledging mistakes concerning the operation of the party. In his staff, the main goal is to maintain the brutal difference in Crete and mainly how to cover the electoral deficit, mainly in Lekanopedio.

They also believe that the results of recent opinion polls showing PaSoK making significant gains weaken the argument that its leadership has limits and cannot threaten the electoral dominance of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The Duke strategy and both fronts

In the staff of Haris Doukas they have indulged in a road race focused on two fronts. The first is the improvement of his image which suffered a blow after the first debate. The second and most important is how the electoral black hole of Attica will be covered.

The fourth place in Attica strongly worries his staff and of course himself. “Everything worries me and I take everything into account. And I say that they finally chose my own proposal to be in the second round and express the change requesthe stated. The candidate for mayor of Athens had telephone contacts with his fellow candidates asking them to proceed unitedly.

Mr. Doukas wants to get on his side the voters of PaSoK who believe that the party should change its leadership. After all, this is, in essence, the dilemma of the coming Sunday. New opportunity for Nikos Androulakis or change of leadership. Which option is the one that can put the PASoK on a steady upward trajectory and will allow it, in time, to emerge as an alternative governance proposal.

Will there finally be a debate?

The fate of the debate is expected to be clarified in the afternoon. Androulaki’s side wanted it to be held on Wednesday, but the Athens city council is meeting on that day. Thursday is prohibited as there is the game of the Greek national team against England for the Nations League. On Friday, N. Androulakis has planned his main event in Athens. At 6 pm the representatives of the two sides will meet in an effort to find a solution.

We had an agreement, without… but “signatures” after the end of the meeting of the representatives of the two candidates for the presidency of PaSoK. The meeting started at 18:00 and lasted 45 minutes. In the short meeting, the decisions were made in a good atmosphere.

Initially there was an agreement regarding the format of the debate. As it became known, the candidates will move in a similar telefight model as last time. There will also be one more thematic section regarding the cost of living and the everyday life of citizens. The unity was put on the table by the side of Haris Doukas and the side of Nikos Androulakis accepted it without any problem.

The dialogue between the two staffs was quick, constructive and substantial. The only thorn that exists at the moment concerns the date of the telefight.

The tight time frame

The reason is that on Wednesday it is very difficult to carry out, there is no time to agree the terms and organize the production mechanism, while there are objective difficulties concerning the following days as well. Also, Nikos Androulakis will be on a planned tour of Ilia, which he had not visited in the first round.

On Thursday there is the football match between the national team and the England national team and this is a certain obstacle, as the interest of public opinion will be reduced. Also on Friday, Nikos Androulakis is holding a pre-election rally in Thessaloniki.

The representatives of the two gladiators will return in the near future to discuss the date when the telefight can take place, as both sides must come to an agreement with the organizing staff of each candidate. The time left is minimal and the candidates are measuring their moves very well.