From a Party Congress to a New Model of Political Participation
With a speech combining a legislative initiative, a defence of democratic institutions and an explicit ambition to govern Greece, Stefanos Kasselakis opened the annual METAGORA conference of the Democrats – Progressive Centre on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at the Conrad Athens The Ilisian hotel.
According to the party’s press release, members and supporters from across Greece attended the opening of a conference designed to introduce a more participatory approach to political decision-making.
Yet the significance of Kasselakis’ intervention extends beyond the organisational framework of a party congress.
His speech brought together three political objectives: empowering citizens to participate directly in legislative initiatives, establishing a distinct political identity within Greece’s fragmented progressive landscape, and presenting the Democrats as a party with governing ambitions.
Kasselakis described METAGORA as something considerably broader than an annual political gathering.
“METAGORA is not the name of a conference. It is a way of governing. Two thousand five hundred years after the birth of democracy, it is our turn to give politics its Agora back, to bring citizens and their lives back to the centre.”
The reference to ancient Athens was not merely symbolic.
It reflected an attempt to connect the historical foundations of Greek democracy with contemporary demands for greater transparency, accountability and citizen participation.
The political question, however, is whether this participatory model can develop into a lasting mechanism for shaping public policy rather than remaining primarily a conference format.
The 500,000-Signature Initiative: Femicide at the Centre of the Political Agenda
The most concrete announcement of Kasselakis’ speech concerned an initiative to collect 500,000 signatures in support of legislation addressing gender-based violence, domestic abuse and femicide.
According to the Democrats, the campaign will be organised in cooperation with the organisation “Gine Anthropos” (“Be Human”) and mothers of femicide victims.
The initiative is expected to use a digital platform incorporating identity verification, with the aim of enabling citizens to support the submission of a legislative proposal to Parliament.
The party says the proposed legislation was originally submitted approximately eighteen months ago but did not receive the necessary attention from parliamentary parties.
It also maintains that the proposal would have no additional fiscal cost, although that claim would require independent assessment of the legislative text and its implementation requirements.
Politically, the choice of femicide as the initiative’s central issue is significant.
Gender-based violence is not simply a matter of criminal justice. It raises broader questions about the effectiveness of state institutions, the protection of vulnerable individuals, police intervention, judicial procedures, prevention mechanisms and the availability of support services.
By placing the issue at the heart of its conference, the Democrats are seeking to connect their broader message of citizen empowerment with a specific social and legislative objective.
A Constitutional Mechanism with Political Implications
The initiative draws on Article 73, paragraph 6, of the Greek Constitution, which provides for legislative proposals supported by 500,000 citizens with voting rights.
However, an essential distinction must be made.
Collecting 500,000 signatures does not automatically result in the adoption of legislation.
The constitutional mechanism concerns the submission of citizen-backed legislative proposals and their consideration through parliamentary procedures, subject to applicable legal requirements and restrictions.
Consequently, the Democrats’ initiative has two dimensions.
The first is social: mobilising citizens around the protection of women and the prevention of gender-based violence.
The second is institutional: attempting to use a constitutional mechanism for direct citizen participation in the legislative process.
Its practical outcome will depend on the proposed legislation’s content, the applicable implementation framework, the validity of the signature collection process and Parliament’s response.
“Our Opponent Is Not a Party or a Person – It Is the Words ‘It Cannot Be Done’”
Beyond the legislative announcement, Kasselakis sought to establish a broader political narrative built around the idea of overcoming institutional inertia and political resignation.
“Our opponent is not a party or a person, but two words: ‘It cannot be done.’ Yet the history of this country was written by those who answered: ‘It can be done.’”
The phrase serves as the central message of his political approach.
Rather than defining the Democrats exclusively through opposition to the government or confrontation with other opposition parties, Kasselakis attempted to identify political stagnation itself as the obstacle to change.
This approach reflects an effort to shift the political debate from personalities and partisan rivalries towards institutional reform and practical results.
Nevertheless, the effectiveness of such a message depends on its translation into concrete proposals.
A positive political slogan cannot, by itself, resolve the complex questions surrounding public spending, administrative reform, social policy and the delivery of public services.
The challenge is to demonstrate what can be achieved, through which mechanisms and with what resources.
“We Want to Take Responsibility for Governing the Country”
One of the most politically consequential passages of the speech was Kasselakis’ explicit reference to the Democrats’ governing ambitions.
“We want to take responsibility for governing the country, with a contract based on five commitments: Truth, Meritocracy, Institutions, Results and Accountability.”
The five principles were presented as the foundations of a proposed political contract with Greek society.
Truth implies a commitment to evidence-based public discourse and transparency.
Meritocracy concerns the operation of public administration and the selection of individuals for positions of responsibility.
Institutions refers to democratic safeguards, the rule of law and the independence of public authorities.
Results emphasises the measurable effectiveness of government policies.
Accountability requires those exercising power to explain their decisions and accept scrutiny.
The significance of this declaration lies in the distinction between political protest and governing responsibility.
Kasselakis is not presenting the Democrats solely as a vehicle for expressing dissatisfaction with the existing political system.
He is articulating an ambition to participate in the exercise of governmental power.
That ambition raises further questions about the party’s policy programme, organisational development, parliamentary strategy and potential relationships with other political forces.
The Progressive Centre: Liberalism, Humanism and Political Identity
Another defining element of the speech was Kasselakis’ attempt to explain the ideological foundations of the Democrats.
“We are liberals because we defend every person’s freedom to think, speak and create without dogma or retaliation.”
He continued:
“And above all, we are humanists because we believe in the dignity of every human being.”
His concluding formulation sought to bring these principles together.
“Freedom without humanity becomes cruelty; humanity without freedom becomes paternalism. We want both. That is the Progressive Centre.”
These remarks provide an indication of how Kasselakis intends to position his party within Greece’s wider political spectrum.
His definition of the Progressive Centre combines individual liberties, human dignity, social responsibility and institutional reform.
It also raises important questions about the relationship between liberalism, social democracy and contemporary progressive politics.
In Greece, these ideological traditions overlap on some issues but diverge significantly on others, particularly taxation, labour regulation, public spending and the role of the state.
The Democrats’ precise position within this landscape will ultimately be determined by their policy proposals rather than ideological terminology alone.
The Wider Political Picture: What METAGORA Means for Greece’s Opposition
Kasselakis’ intervention also needs to be understood within the broader political dynamics of Greece’s opposition.
PASOK, SYRIZA and other parties identifying with the progressive political space represent different organisational traditions, political histories and ideological priorities.
Against this background, the Democrats are attempting to make participatory democracy a distinguishing feature of their political identity.
METAGORA has been designed to include thematic debates, live voting and contributions from participants.
This model offers an opportunity to examine whether party members and citizens can exercise meaningful influence over political decisions.
Three questions are particularly relevant.
First, will the outcomes of participatory procedures have a binding effect on the party’s leadership?
Second, will these mechanisms continue to operate between conferences?
Third, how will the proposals emerging from public consultation be translated into an actionable governing programme?
The answers will determine whether METAGORA develops into a permanent organisational model or remains an alternative format for party conferences.
The initiative also illustrates a broader challenge facing contemporary political parties: how to encourage citizen participation while preserving clear lines of responsibility for decisions.
“Politics with Civility”: Institutions, Transparency and Accountability
Kasselakis also emphasised the need to defend democratic institutions and the rule of law in an increasingly polarised international environment.
According to the party’s statement, he promoted the principle of “Politics with Civility” as an alternative to toxic political discourse and the deterioration of public debate.
The concept extends beyond the tone of exchanges between political opponents.
It also concerns the way public institutions operate, how decisions are justified and whether citizens can hold elected officials accountable.
In this context, political civility is linked to institutional responsibility rather than simply politeness.
The practical test for any political organisation adopting this principle is whether it applies the same standards to its internal decision-making, public communication and relationships with political opponents.
Housing, Healthcare, Employment and Education: The Test of Policy Credibility
Kasselakis connected his institutional message with four areas of everyday life: housing, healthcare, employment and education.
These sectors are central to any discussion of governance because they directly affect living standards, economic opportunities and social mobility.
The Democrats’ emphasis on costed solutions suggests an intention to move beyond broad political declarations.
However, the press release does not provide detailed policy measures, budget estimates or implementation timetables for these sectors.
Further clarification will therefore be necessary.
On housing, the central questions concern affordability, supply and access.
In healthcare, the discussion must address staffing, infrastructure, access to services and the financial sustainability of the system.
Employment policy raises questions about wages, productivity, working conditions and economic competitiveness.
Education requires decisions about public investment, institutional quality, equal opportunity and the relationship between skills and the labour market.
A comprehensive governing programme would need to explain how these objectives can be pursued simultaneously and how competing budgetary priorities would be managed.
The Political Significance of the 500,000-Signature Campaign
The proposed signature campaign could become an important test of the Democrats’ organisational and participatory strategy.
Unlike a conventional political declaration, collecting hundreds of thousands of verified signatures requires sustained public engagement, administrative coordination and compliance with legal requirements.
The campaign’s significance will therefore depend not only on whether the numerical target is reached, but also on the institutional outcome.
A successful mobilisation could demonstrate public interest in a particular legislative initiative.
It would not, however, automatically establish wider electoral support for the party or agreement with its broader political programme.
That distinction is essential when assessing the political implications of citizen-led initiatives.
The campaign should ultimately be judged by the quality of the proposed legislation, its ability to address identified gaps in protection and the parliamentary process that follows.
The Next Day: From Political Ambition to Institutional Delivery
The first day of METAGORA continues with thematic debates, live voting and interventions from participants.
For Kasselakis and the Democrats, the conference establishes two parallel political priorities.
The first is the citizen-backed legislative initiative addressing femicide and gender-based violence.
The second is the development of a political programme intended to give substance to the party’s governing ambitions.
Both will require more than public declarations.
The signature campaign will need to demonstrate procedural credibility and a clear legislative objective.
The broader political project will need detailed proposals, transparent decision-making and a coherent account of how its commitments could be implemented.
Kasselakis has framed his message around the contrast between “It cannot be done” and “It can be done.”
The central question now is whether the Democrats can translate that message into specific policies, functioning institutions and measurable outcomes.
For the Progressive Centre that Kasselakis seeks to define, the next phase will be less about political slogans and more about demonstrating what participation, reform and governing responsibility mean in practice.
Source: pagenews.gr