Main opposition PASOK is seeking to draw a line under a fresh internal dispute after Athens Mayor Haris Doukas publicly advocated cooperation with former prime minister Alexis Tsipras, whose newly formed political party has reshaped the center-left political landscape.
Senior PASOK officials dismissed Doukas’ intervention as politically counterproductive, arguing that it alienated multiple factions within the party while failing to secure support from Tsipras himself.
“The result was that he united all the party’s tribes against him, and even Tsipras kept his distance despite efforts to praise him,” party sources said, reflecting the prevailing view within PASOK’s leadership.
Doukas’ comments, which diverged from the party’s official line, sparked speculation among some members that the Athens mayor was attempting to build bridges with Tsipras’ camp, possibly driven by personal political ambitions. However, PASOK leaders ultimately concluded that no disciplinary action was warranted, noting that Doukas’ influence within the party has diminished significantly since the party congress earlier this year.
Anna Diamantopoulou, PASOK’s head of political planning and one of the first senior figures to publicly criticize Doukas’ remarks, reiterated on Tuesday that the party’s focus should remain on its own electoral prospects rather than hypothetical alliances.
