Greece’s main opposition party PASOK is seeking to expand its political base following the recent split within the New Left party, as positioning intensifies ahead of the next national elections, Kathimerini understands.Greece’s main opposition party PASOK is seeking to expand its political base following the recent split within the New Left party, as positioning intensifies ahead of the next national elections, Kathimerini understands. PASOK has made a targeted approach to Alexis Charitsis, who recently resigned as leader of New Left, as well as to officials aligned with him, sources said. The breakup of the SYRIZA offshoot followed long-standing internal disagreements over strategy, with the party’s majority favoring ideological purity over broader electoral cooperation with other progressive forces. Charitsis’ group – which includes former ministers Effie Achtsioglou and Nasos Iliopoulos – is widely seen as more likely to align with former prime minister Alexis Tsipras, who is expected to launch a new left-of-center party later this year. However, PASOK is attempting to attract the former New Left officials by offering what sources describe as greater political autonomy, allowing them to operate within the party as distinct tendencies rather than being fully absorbed into its structure. By contrast, Tsipras’ anticipated political movement is expected to be more centralized around his leadership, reflecting lessons from internal factionalism during his tenure at the helm of SYRIZA. Additionally, relations between Tsipras and former SYRIZA officials have been strained since the party’s heavy electoral defeat in 2023, followed by the brief leadership of Stefanos Kasselakis and what some former allies viewed as dismissive public remarks by Tsipras during his political reemergence. Within PASOK, officials believe that the inclusion of experienced former New Left figures could bolster party leader Nikos Androulakis’ standing on the left, amid ongoing calls for clearer differentiation from the ruling New Democracy party. Speaking at PASOK’s three-day congress, which concluded Sunday, Androulakis reiterated that the party would not consider cooperation with New Democracy, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
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