Progressive Alliance

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.

The consensus that PASOK must once again play a leading role in Greece's center-left defined Tuesday evening's event at the Zappeion commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the socialist party. This sentiment, however, was expressed in varying tones and with different references to history.

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.

The socialist PASOK party celebrates 50 years since its foundation and, having escaped the existential danger it faced about a decade ago during the Greek debt crisis, it is breathlessly heading for an internal showdown that is absolutely certain to define its future.

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.

PASOK will celebrate on Tuesday the 50th anniversary since the foundation of the socialist party with an event in central Athens. 

PASOK celebrates 50 years of existence today, having been founded by Andreas Papandreou on September 3rd at the Capital Hotel in Syntagma. Protothema.gr marks this anniversary with five articles by Pantelis Kapsis, Nikos Felekis, Dimitris Pagadakis, Dimitris Danikas, and Stefanos Tzanakis.

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.