PASOK is entering the most difficult and final phase of the leadership contest after a first round that turned into a thriller before the duo was determined to face off in the second round.

Nikos Androulakis and Charis Doukas will battle it out this coming Sunday: the current leader of PASOK, as predicted in polls, finished first but with a percentage below 30%. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Athens found himself losing by a “point” to Pavlos Geroulanos several times (before entering the second round). The suspense for the second spot lasted for several hours, with the teams of the three candidate leaders holding their breath. Mr. Androulakis regained first place in the first round, but with approximately 10,000 fewer votes than in 2021, separating him by eight points from Charis Doukas and giving him seven days to confirm or dispel the most likely scenario: his comfortable or otherwise re-election as leader of PASOK. Charis Doukas found himself at risk from Pavlos Geroulanos due to his low performance in his “seat” in Athens and the wider Attica region. Now, he can only hope for a last-minute “turnaround,” aspiring to attract a large portion of the 70% of voters who chose candidates opposing Nikos Androulakis in the first round.

All eyes are inevitably focused on the potential debate between the two, as Androulakis and Doukas had stated from the first round their support for organizing a televised debate for the duo that would emerge. It is certain that the other four candidates who were excluded from the second round will not take a clear stance in favor of either candidate. They demonstrated this with their statements late last night, also indicating that they expect the two contenders to maintain a climate of unity and political civility with their demeanor. Experienced officials believe that Androulakis’ clear lead gives him the opportunity to make moves on the internal party chessboard with greater ease than Charis Doukas, while the Mayor of Athens must attempt to improve his position regarding the pursuit of alliances, primarily in Attica and the major urban centers. For example, he fell short of his expectations in Attica and Thessaloniki but recorded strong support in Larissa and Ioannina.

Voter turnout was more substantial than in 2021, with 303,223 members and friends participating, but there was not significant attendance from other political groups, as some had expected. Primarily, it was PASOK’s party base that voted, although the candidacies of Pavlos Geroulanos and Anna Diamantopoulou reportedly attracted some “couch” voters. Mr. Androulakis received 89,288 votes and 29.64%, Charis Doukas 64,490 and 21.41%, Pavlos Geroulanos 63,632 and 21.12%, Anna Diamantopoulou 58,809 and 19.52%, Michalis Katrinis 18,163 and 6.03%, and Nadia Giannakopoulou 6,890 and 2.29%.

In the Municipality of Athens, Pavlos Geroulanos took the lead, followed by Anna Diamantopoulou, while Charis Doukas came in third and Nikos Androulakis fourth. In Eastern Attica, the two contenders shared the third and fourth positions, with Diamantopoulou and Geroulanos taking the first and second spots, respectively, demonstrating their strength in the metropolitan area. In Thessaloniki, the ranking showed Diamantopoulou first, Androulakis second, Geroulanos third, Doukas fourth, followed by Katrinis and Giannakopoulou. In the Crete region, Mr. Androulakis achieved the highest votes this time (over 60%), while in the South Aegean, the second-round duo were neck and neck. In Arcadia, the current leader narrowly secured first place.

Both Nikos Androulakis and Charis Doukas used unifying tones in their initial statements as they embarked on the battle for the second round. “Anyone who believes in democracy believes in the result,” stated Pavlos Geroulanos, who, despite losing the second position by a narrow margin, did not seek a recount of the votes. Anna Diamantopoulou spoke of a “significant starting point for a creative journey,” as some polls showed her ready to conquer the second battle and advance to the second round. “Voters must choose freely and without influence,” emphasized Mr. Katrinis, while Nadia Giannakopoulou did not wish to reveal her cards ahead of the second round, although many believe she will support Mr. Doukas.

The goal of the two candidates is to maintain the image of high participation in the second round, even though they know that interest among members and friends decreased in the previous round as they had “priced in” an Androulakis victory. From today, however, their teams will begin a new round of meetings to strategize their approach moving forward.