Within PASOK, recent opinion polls are being interpreted in a distinct way. Analysts inside the party point to two main conclusions drawn from the latest surveys — particularly those conducted since the re-emergence of Alexis Tsipras’s new political formation. First, they see New Democracy (ND) in decline: its support is eroding, and voters are drifting away — but not necessarily toward PASOK. Instead, many appear to be opting for abstention, remaining undecided, or simply disengaging altogether.
A Fragmented Progressive Opposition
Second, PASOK perceives a deeply fragmented progressive opposition. While Tsipras’s return has generated a certain level of public attention, party insiders argue that his comeback lacks real political momentum. As one official put it, ‘returning with the same low vote share you left with — as a “failed” leader — cannot constitute meaningful political change.’
Tricoupi’s Message of Unity and Stability
In this context, Harilaos Tricoupi — PASOK’s parliamentary group leader — insists there remains a viable, unifying alternative: her party. She positions PASOK as the only force capable of offering security and coherence — whether for former ND voters, centrists, or progressive citizens. It’s a party, she says, equipped with a clear program, governing experience, and the capacity to integrate diverse political sensibilities.
Shifting Electoral Ambitions
Tricoupi’s stated goal remains first place in the upcoming national elections — even by a single vote. Yet all current polling suggests that objective is slipping further out of reach. Christos Kaklamani, PASOK’s Justice Sector Secretary and a close ally of party leader Nikos Androulakis, acknowledged as much in a recent interview with ERT. He admitted the target was set before Tsipras’s full political re-entry — and that the landscape has since grown significantly more challenging.
‘Let’s not fool ourselves — things have gotten harder,’ Kaklamani said. ‘We spoke about winning by one vote before Mr. Tsipras reappeared, when the polling picture looked different. Now we’re consistently third.’ He added that Tsipras’s new party isn’t dragging PASOK down outright — but it is complicating its upward trajectory, contributing to a ‘multi-directional fragmentation’ and triggering what he described as a large-scale ‘transfer market’ among voters.
Kaklamani also noted a broader European trend: social democracy, as a brand, is struggling to resonate across the continent — ‘it just doesn’t sell well enough.’ Still, he observed that — perhaps for the first time in four decades — the leader of the official opposition has faced such sustained, cross-media criticism, describing it as unprecedented ‘horizontal pressure’ from the entire media landscape.
Yet he was unequivocal on one point: ‘You don’t go into elections to lose — you go to win.’
Preparing for the Final Stretch
With that mindset, PASOK is preparing for what it sees as the final phase of the electoral campaign. The party continues to advance its policy agenda while intensifying outreach efforts. Party leader Nikos Androulakis is scheduled today, Monday 29 June 2026, to visit Kasos — followed immediately by Karpathos — as part of a week-long focus on foreign policy and national defense.