PASOK will likely hold its annual September 3 celebration, marking 52 years since the Greek party's founding, in Heraklion on the island of Crete this year, rather than in the capital, Athens.
The idea of marking the anniversary away from PASOK's traditional base was approved by party leader Nikos Androulakis, though not without disagreement. Several figures within the party believe PASOK should instead concentrate its efforts on Athens, where it has lost a significant share of its electoral support.
PASOK, formally the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, was founded in 1974 by Andreas Papandreou and for decades was one of the two dominant forces in Greek politics, alongside the center-right New Democracy party now led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Androulakis, who was born in Crete, has led PASOK since December 2021.
Why Androulakis chose Crete
Despite the internal pushback, the decision is considered final within the party and rests on two main arguments.
The first is that Crete is Androulakis's home region, and PASOK finished first there in the most recent European Parliament elections.
The second, and more important, argument is the timing of this year's September 3 date. Androulakis is trying to get ahead of an appearance by Alexis Tsipras, the former prime minister and Syriza founder, at the Thessaloniki International Fair, an annual trade exhibition that has traditionally doubled as a venue for major political speeches.
Racing to beat Tsipras to the podium
Mitsotakis is due to speak at the fair on September 5 and 6. Androulakis, as leader of the main opposition, will travel to Thessaloniki the following weekend, on September 12 and 13, in keeping with the protocol usually followed by opposition leaders.
Tsipras, who now leads a party outside parliament, is not bound by that same protocol. PASOK officials believe he is likely to appear at the fair earlier than Androulakis, as he did last year, when he addressed an Economist conference a day before the prime minister's own speech, before he had even founded his new party.
For that reason, officials at PASOK's headquarters on Charilaou Trikoupi Street in Athens reportedly see the September 3 event, which has an ideological and political character, as an opportunity for Androulakis to deliver a programmatic speech, in effect a preview of the address he plans to give in Thessaloniki.
Not the first event held outside Athens
Party sources also point to precedent for those who objected to the move to Crete. This would not be the first time PASOK has held its September 3 celebration outside the capital. In 2019, then-leader Fofi Gennimata chose to hold the event in Larisa, combining it with conferences on agricultural issues.
