Haris Doukas

The deadline for submitting the required signatures by PASOK leadership candidates is tonight at 9 PM. The Ethics Committee will review the lists and determine which candidates meet the necessary criteria.

Nominations for the leadership of PASOK will close on Monday, a month ahead of the October 6 election.

The seven contenders for the leadership must submit at least 5,000 signatures from party members or the signatures of 15% of central committee members.

Opposition party PASOK will hold two debates as part of its leadership contest.

Party spokesman Thanasis Glavinas said the debates will take place "both before the first round and before the second round of the internal party elections."

Anna Diamantopoulou, former European Commissioner for Social Affairs and minister, called on Wednesday for a live televised debate between the candidates in PASOK's upcoming leadership election.

Diamantopoulou, 65, said she had formally requested the socialist party's ethics committee to clarify why a date for the debate had not yet been set.

During the event, the three former leaders, founding members, younger generation representatives, the current leader, and the other presidential candidates emphasized that PASOK is returning stronger in opposition, aiming to regain governmental influence in the future.

A poll released on Tuesday showed the ruling New Democracy (ND) maintaining a strong lead over the main opposition parties SYRIZA and PASOK.

Three months after the European elections, the main shift in voter attitudes is related to the crisis within SYRIZA, which has reduced its voting intention to a marginal single-digit figure for the main opposition party.

This year’s anniversary coincides with the final stretch leading up to the key leadership election. Former PASOK Presidents, Kostas Simitis, George Papandreou, and Evangelos Venizelos, will deliver greetings. Founding members who signed the September 3, 1974 declaration will be honored.

Main opposition SYRIZA, in the throes of serious inner-party turmoil, has been booted from second place by socialist PASOK, as ruling New Democracy maintains its solid lead, according to a public opinion poll on Monday.

The new television spot released today by Haris Doukas, the candidate for PASOK president and mayor of Athens, poses the question: “Can you imagine Greece without PASOK?”