The Greek center-left recently faced a political jolt from PASOK parliamentary spokesman Pavlos Geroulanos. In an extensive article on his personal website, the Athens MP laid out the urgent need for a radically new way for the party to operate, calling it a “democratic explosion.”
This is not mere rhetoric. Geroulanos proposes genuine, participatory involvement of party members, former elected officials, and social stakeholders to shape and refine policies on Greece’s most pressing issues. From constitutional reform and parliamentary function to church-state relations, justice, and independent authorities, PASOK must articulate clear, radical, and democratic positions.
Political Message and Parapolitical Angle
Despite the article’s importance, Greek media have mostly focused on the parapolitical implications: who supports Geroulanos, how he clashes with Nikos Androulakis’s strategy, and internal party rivalries. The core issue—the need for open, participatory, and comprehensive democracy within PASOK—often gets lost.
Geroulanos emphasizes that PASOK must become a model of governance, convincing citizens not with slogans but by example, presenting positions for a modern state, transparency, and institutional reform. The democratic explosion is a tool to restore public trust and electoral strength.
Strategic Choices and Internal Tensions
Geroulanos also opens the discussion on possible future government coalitions, rejecting collaboration with New Democracy but remaining open to dialogue with parties and movements that share PASOK’s principles.
Some media focus excessively on personalities rather than policies, highlighting conflicts within the New Left or rivalries between political figures. This approach risks distracting from PASOK’s goal of rebuilding a pluralistic center-left capable of electoral and social influence.
Implications for the Greek Center-Left
Geroulanos’s proposal envisions a PASOK that breaks barriers, opens up decision-making, and engages society directly. Without such a vision, the center-left risks continued fragmentation, inability to promote transformative policies, and alienation of voters already disengaged from politics.
The challenge is not personal ambition but crafting policies that can genuinely transform Greece, revitalize the political center, and prepare PASOK for an autonomous and effective path against New Democracy.
Key Takeaways
- Geroulanos calls for a “democratic explosion” in PASOK, engaging members and society in policy-making.
- The party must become a model of governance, addressing core national issues.
- Parapolitical focus on personalities overshadows substantive proposals.
- The goal is the reconstruction of a pluralistic center-left and restoration of public trust.
Πηγή: pagenews.gr