The way forward for PASOK

Public opinion polls show the picture as it is in that moment and the trends running through the electorate. For the socialist PASOK party, the picture so far is not very encouraging.

Following the premature death of its former leader Fofi Gennimata and the public interest in the race for a new chief that followed - with six contenders expressing different trends and adding to the buzz - PASOK was looking at a stellar opportunity for a comeback, as part of a coalition government. The likelihood was enhanced by the party's growing popularity after electing a young new leader, with some polls giving it as much as 17%.

That surge has not only lost its momentum; it is subsiding, as fatigue sets in and PASOK numbers slowly and steadily shrink to reach around 10% today. It is a slump that could not have come at a worse time, in the runup to the general elections.

In...