PASOK

The leadership race in the socialist PASOK party and its implications for the center-left will dominate this week's political agenda as the party heads into a runoff election next Sunday.

PASOK is entering the most difficult and final phase of the leadership contest after a first round that turned into a thriller before the duo was determined to face off in the second round.

After a nail-biting first round in PASOK's leadership elections, it was decided that incumbent leader Nikos Androulakis will face off against Athens Mayor Haris Doukas in next Sunday's runoff.

Doukas secured second place over MP and former minister Pavlos Geroulanos by a razor-thin margin of just 858 votes, according to final results published Monday morning.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis is used to sleeping early, as he wakes up early in the morning. Last night’s thriller night against the backdrop of the PASOK elections could have upset the prime minister’s habit, but around midnight Charis Doukas “locked in” his second-round appearance against Pavlos Geroulanos and the prime minister turned off the TV.

Incumbent PASOK president Nikos Androulakis and the Mayor of Athens Haris Doukas reacted to the results of the socialist party's leadership election late Sunday, which concluded with them set to face off in a runoff vote next Sunday.

In his remarks, Androulakis conveyed his confidence that the party would emerge more united and stronger as a result of the two-round contest.

With Androulakis’ re-election to the leadership almost certain after the first-round election results, PASOK had only a gain of 31,000 members and friends yesterday, as turnout once again rose to just over 300,000 citizens, up from 272,000 in 2021 and 400,000 in 2015 for ND.

Current leader Nikos Androulakis and Athens mayor Haris Doukas will compete for the leadership of the socialist PASOK party next Sunday.

In a close first round contest Sunday, Androulakis came out on top with 29.64% of the votes, with Doukas edging MP and former minister Pavlos Yeroulanos, 21.41% to 21.12%, for second place.

Turnout in the PASOK leadership contest has exceeded 300,000, higher than in the previous election in 2021.

With 90% of precincts reporting, current leader Nikos Androulakis is leading, with 30.63%. Mayor of Athens Haris Doukas is in second place (21.69%), narrowly leading MP Pavlos Yeroulanos (20.91%) and former MP and European Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou (19.07%).

It is all but certain that the election for the leadership of the socialist PASOK party will be decided in a runoff.

It is also almost certain that PASOK will be the de facto main opposition to the ruling New Democracy, even though it is still lagging SYRIZA in the number of MPs, with 32 to 35. But further defections from SYRIZA could change that.