Haris Doukas

The six PASOK leadership candidates have resumed their tours across Greece following the pivotal televised debate, a key moment that continues to shape their campaigns, as they assess both gains and setbacks.

The six candidates vying for the leadership of socialist PASOK opposition clashed in a three-hour televised debate broadcast on state television ERT late Tuesday. 

Preparations at ERT were intense for the debate of candidates running for the presidency of PASOK. Spaces designated for the candidates were arranged, and flower arrangements—offered as a gift from ERT to the six candidates—were placed in the venue.

The terms for conducting the debate were as follows:

According to the MRB poll presented on Open’s main news broadcast, SYRIZA is ranked as the fifth party, with a single-digit percentage of 9% in the vote estimate. Meanwhile, New Democracy (ND) holds a comfortable lead at 28%, matching its European election result, with a 12.5-point advantage over PASOK, which stands at 15.5%, just 18 days before the party’s internal elections.

According to the Pulse survey for SKAI TV, New Democracy leads with 24%, holding an 11-point lead over PASOK at 13%. SYRIZA ranks third with 10%, followed by the Communist KKE at 8% and Nationalist Greek Solution at 7.5%. The left-wing Plefsi Eleftherias stands at 4%, while both religious nationalist Niki and nationalist Voice of Reason each poll at 3.5%.

A Pulse poll presented on Skai’s main news bulletin showed that ND (New Democracy) has returned to higher levels compared to the European elections, with an estimated vote share of 30%. PASOK comes in second with 16%—3.2 points higher than in the European elections—and SYRIZA is third with an estimated vote share of 12.5%, losing nearly 2.5 points compared to June’s European elections.

The agreement between the PASOK leadership candidates regarding the organization of the televised debate on ERT next Tuesday remains unresolved, as their representatives did not reach a conclusion concerning direct dialogue.

The Hellenic Data Protection Authority has said it is examining allegations that a candidate in the forthcoming PASOK leadership election, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, sent unsolicited electronic messages to potential voters.

The six PASOK leadership candidates presented their positions, political priorities, and their programmatic plan for the “next day” in the Melina Mercouri Hall at the Peace and Friendship Stadium.

Athens Mayor Haris Doukas has urged the government to implement anti-flooding infrastructure following damage from Storm Atena.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Doukas, also a PASOK leadership candidate, noted that Athens has cleared 14,700 storm drains in 2024.