Speaking on ERT News on Wednesday, June 24, PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis outlined the party’s vision for political change — one rooted in stability, accountability, and democratic credibility. He stressed that PASOK remains the only force offering a coherent alternative: “The sole factor guaranteeing stability, consistency, and credibility — free from vested interests — is voting for PASOK. Because it has a program, experienced personnel, and a culture of democracy and governance.”
A Clear Alternative to Polarization
Androulakis described the kind of political force PASOK aims to become: serious, consistent, and committed to not disappointing citizens again. He emphasized the need to clearly define and limit political power — rejecting unchecked authority, setting firm boundaries in relations with oligarchs, strengthening the judiciary, and ensuring the separation of powers.
“Only then can we build a society that trusts politics — and an economy capable of sustainable growth, unhampered by political games that undermine investor confidence,” he said.
Warning Against a Mitsotakis–Tsipras Duopoly
He issued a stark warning: if PASOK fails to emerge as a strong force in the next national elections, and Greek politics reverts to a binary dynamic between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (New Democracy) and former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (Syriza), the country risks slipping back into a period marked by toxicity, intolerance, and institutional erosion.
“We’ll enter the time machine — and go far back to an era of instability,” he said, summarizing both governments as manifestations of a “deep state” — past and present — that deliver neither real stability nor genuine reform, but regression.
Progress, Not Nostalgia
In contrast, Androulakis framed PASOK’s candidacy — embodied by himself and his party — as a choice for progress, consistency, and independence. “It’s a choice to become a normal European country — not to relive the crises of yesterday.”
Cost of Living and Justice for Borrowers
On economic hardship, he pointed to Greece’s extreme cost-of-living pressures and widening inequalities: “We have prices that match European averages — yet wages that don’t even reach the European average. That’s a country burdened by both soaring costs and deep disparities.”
Regarding the government’s recent legislative response to the Supreme Court’s ruling on ‘red loans’ — which found banks had illegally calculated interest on the full loan amount instead of monthly installments under PASOK’s 2010 debt relief law — Androulakis noted that the current administration wasn’t initiating policy but merely implementing the court’s decision.
He welcomed Finance Minister Christos Staikouras’ announcement that borrowers who remained in the original PASOK framework would receive refunds for overcharged interest. But he raised urgent questions about those who dropped out of the scheme entirely — victims of the banks’ unlawful practices who lost their homes or livelihoods. “What happens to them?” he asked. “The state must step in — from the moment it recognizes injustice — to ensure full redress.”