Thodoris Papatheodorou, a senior PASOK-KINAL official and former deputy minister, said there is no question of his party discussing government cooperation deals before Greece's next elections. Speaking to Newsbeast from the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair, he laid out the party's main priorities, dismissed talk of pre-election alliances, and confirmed he will stand as a candidate for parliament.
Papatheodorou said PASOK, Greece's main opposition party, has a complete governing proposal covering the economy, the high cost of living, energy, the renewal of the National Health System, changes to education, the strengthening of democratic institutions, and the fight against corruption. He said the party's plans for regional and rural development, the economy and the welfare state have already been discussed directly with citizens.
"There is a complete programme right now. I don't say this with any arrogance. Citizens know it, because we have discussed it with them," he said, according to the translated remarks carried by Newsbeast.
Cost of living and energy prices
Papatheodorou placed particular emphasis on the high cost of living and rising energy costs, pointing to the impact that increasing oil prices would have on households heading into winter. He also described the use of the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Facility as a major missed opportunity for Greece.
He said the country needed to find ways to support small and medium-sized businesses, reverse the wave of high prices, and support the middle class. He also raised the situation facing farmers, citing delays in payments and subsidies following the scandal at OPEKEPE, Greece's agricultural payments and control agency, and said specific answers were needed.
No coalition talk before the vote
Asked about the possibility of cooperation with other parties after the election, Papatheodorou declined to set out PASOK's future moves in advance. He said the party's goal was to win the largest possible share of the vote so it could carry out its political plan.
"No question of cooperation arises before the elections. After the elections we will see the percentages, the alignments and the choices that will be on the table," he said.
He was, however, clear about the party's stance toward the governing New Democracy party. He said what binds PASOK is not simply that it will not cooperate with New Democracy, but that there can be no political change together with New Democracy. He accused the government of trying to tie political stability exclusively to its own continued hold on power. "Against this blackmail and this arrogance, we are asking citizens for a dynamic vote for PASOK," he said.
Targeting disaffected voters
Papatheodorou said the party is seeking to win over voters who backed New Democracy in previous elections to keep SYRIZA out of power but who are now dissatisfied with the government. He said a large social and political majority needed to be built to change politics in Greece.
He placed the housing crisis, Greece's demographic decline and the need to rebuild the welfare state in the same context. He said the country could not ignore its demographic problem while leaving the Golden Visa residency-by-investment programme unchecked or failing to have a housing policy backed by state intervention.
Confirms candidacy
Papatheodorou confirmed he will stand as a candidate in the next national elections, though he did not reveal which constituency he would run in. "It is a given that I will be a candidate," he said, adding that the official announcement would be made by the party in due course.
