Two to challenge Androulakis for PASOK leadership

The current mayor of Athens and an MP and former Culture Minister announced Sunday they will challenge current PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis in an October contest.

Mayor of Athens Haris Doukas, 44, and MP Pavlos Geroulanos, 58, announced their candidacies for the socialist party's leadership at a Central Political Committee meeting Sunday.

At the meeting, Androulakis, 45, proposed that the leadership contest, not scheduled to take place until the end of 2025, be advanced to October 6 this year. His proposal was accepted. A second round will take place October 13, if no candidate obtains the absolute majority of votes. 

Androulakis faced strong criticism after the June 9 election for the European Parliament when PASOK failed to overtake SYRIZA as the second largest party. He himself had said such a result would be a failure.

Although PASOK was the only...