PASOK is willing, but is Tsipras able?
With this dilemma in full development, the two main poles of the center-left are sharpening... knives, as the TIF and the subsequent polls shaped a new landscape in the opposition space.
In any case, for Charilaou Trikoupi, the month carries its own special weight, as October 18 is already circled on the calendar.
Rendezvous in Egaleo
Nikos Androulakis is preparing to celebrate the anniversary of PASOK's victory on October 18 with an event in Egaleo, signaling the new goals of the Movement.
PASOK and Alexis Tsipras step up their pace, each starting from a different baseline and strategy, but with a common goal: to emerge as the primary challenger to New Democracy and gain the upper hand for the next day.
In reality, however, the battle also has a second front.
It is the battle between the two for political hegemony within the center-left space.
And that makes this October particularly «red».
Reaching out to the public
Alexis Tsipras has now transitioned from the period of reemergence to the period of organized political mobilization.
His moves are not restricted to keynote speeches and institutional interventions.
Instead, he attempts to step outside safe political environments and meet social and professional groups dealing with the increased cost of business and living.
Fishermen, transporters, and professionals enter his agenda, with inflation, fuel, and energy constituting the common denominator.
The message is clear: he wants to connect political contestation with daily life and move the debate from party offices into citizens' wallets.
And here lies the primary weapon of the new opposition line of Tsipras: the economy.
Dual attack
The debate over higher-than-target surpluses, taxation, fuel costs, and inflation is expected to form the primary pillars of his policy in the coming period.
He has already attacked the government over how it manages fiscal margins, arguing that over-taxation generates surpluses that can subsequently be turned into hand-outs ahead of elections.
It is, as figures from his camp argue, a clash not merely over the scale of hand-outs, but over the very model of economic policy.
On one side stands the government, and on the other the opposition demanding immediate tax cuts and interventions in the market.
Political change
What is interesting is that at the same time, PASOK is trying to seal its own political line and leave no room for Tsipras to present himself as the sole bearer of «political change».
Nikos Androulakis reiterated in the clearest manner that for Charilaou Trikoupi there is no scenario of a government of the defeated.
The dilemma, as he described it, is that either PASOK will come in first so as to hold the initiative to form a government, or New Democracy will continue to hold the initiative.
Wildcard party
In other words, PASOK does not want to appear as a «wildcard» or... system add-on for the next day.
And that is the point where the confrontation with the camp of Tsipras takes on greater political significance.
Because the more the former Prime Minister tries to build a new political entity with electoral prospects, the more Charilaou Trikoupi will have to defend its autonomous course and its preeminence within the center-left space.
Androulakis also sent a message regarding party transfers.
The accession of Evangelos Apostolakis to PASOK does not signify, as he emphasized, a «blank check» for anyone wishing to join.
Charilaou Trikoupi attempts to tie new entries to specific political and value-based rules, in an effort to show that it is not turning into a gathering space for individuals without a shared political foundation.
The role of the apparatus
Both PASOK and the side of Tsipras know that the battle will not be decided solely by central confrontations with Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
It will also be decided by who succeeds in establishing an organizational apparatus, presence in the provinces, social alliances, and fresh faces.
The camp of Tsipras is already preparing outreach initiatives across the country, with tours and thematic interventions.
The goal is to build a network from scratch and simultaneously highlight new faces, several of whom may also be utilized on electoral ballots.
PASOK, on the other hand, seeks to consolidate its own image as an autonomous governing force rather than a supplementary player, while placing its weight on Attica.
Dual front
Thus, «Red October» takes on a dual front.
On one hand, the clash with the government over inflation, taxes, energy, and income.
On the other hand, the now open contest between PASOK and Tsipras over who will represent the opposition space.
And as the election season draws nearer, political pleasantries will become ever more scarce.
PASOK does not want to become anyone's «tail», and Tsipras is not returning to the political stage to play a decorative role.
Nikos Eleftheroglou
www.bankingnews.gr
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