NIKOS ANDROULAKIS

The president of PASOK, hailed the decision in his address to the Greek Parliament at noon today, emphasizing it as a pivotal moment in curbing the New Democracy government's clandestine surveillance tactics.

The Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy wants further investigation of possible improprieties in the approval of surveillance by prosecutors with vague invocation of 'national security'.

Questions have also been raised about the prosecutor attached to EYP, Vasiliki Vlachou, as it is unclear under what criteria she could have ordered the surveillance of a Greek politician.

Finding who is behind the hacking of a party leader's phone issue of democracy and must be be handled as such so as not to further diminish citizens’ trust in the political system.

The election of Nikos Androulakis as party leader was the motive force that brought a younger generation to the forefront.

As long as SYRIZA continues to appeal mainly to the emotions of the public, both PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and centre-left KINAL leader Nikos Androulakis have an opportunity to gain ground among centrist voters.

KINAL/PASOK must prove that it can stand firmly in the centre of the political spectrum, with a distinct Social Democratic platform, and without being crushed under the weight of pressures from New Democracy and SYRIZA.

The election of Nikos Androulakis as the centre-left Movement for Change (KINAL) leader, and the rise of the party in the polls, indicates that the bipolar party system may be coming to an end.

The prospect of a higher electoral percentage has made many consider a return to their Social Democratic political home, and many voters who over the last years disappointedly chose not to vote are looking for a party that can express them.

The poll suggests that KINAL (Movement for Change) maintains the momentum that it achieved from the election of its new leader by over 200,000 members and friends of the party.

The new KINAL party leader, his close associates, and the rest of the party’s cadres now have the political capital of the mass participation of members and friends of the party in the leadership election..

The centre-left party’s leader was highly critical of the government and the PM: 'Mr Mitsotakis cannot hide his enormous responsibilities behind the extreme and condemnable statements of members of the opposition,' he said,

Katrinis has substantial parliamentary experience and a relationship of trust with Androulakis and was thus considered a “secure” choice to lead the parliamentary group.

Fortunately, the forces of populism are losing the war that they declared. The ideological arsenal of Social Democracy is making a comeback, from Scandinavia and southern Europe to the US and Japan.

Over 200,000 people voted – a much higher number than the second round in 2017, when the late Fofi Gennimata was elected - and precincts closed at 7:30pm, after a 30-minute extension

This past week was not the best for the Greek centre-left, and that is due mainly to the stance of certain losers in the first round of the Movement for Change [KINAL] party’s leadership election.

Although Loverdos made clear that he does not wish to sway voters in one way or another, his announcement may to some degree have the same effect, to the extent that voters follow his lead.

The number of people who turned out demonstrated that among voters in the centre and centre-left of the political spectrum there is a strong desire for a progressive party that can play a leading role.

At 5pm, the party’s competent EDEKAP ethics and certification committee (which is in charge of conducting the election) decided to extend voting to 8pm, one hour later than had been scheduled.

The survey shows that that the party’s parliamentary representative, Andreas Loverdos, has a 3.6 percentage point lead over George Papandreou in the general pool of respondents.