It began with the law on non-state universities. The Greek Left Alliance (ELAS) said it would not repeal the Pierrakakis law but seek to improve it, providing PASOK with the perfect opening.
The socialist party was quick to launch a fierce attack on Alexis Tsipras’ new party. Overlooking the fact that PASOK itself has backed an amendment to Article 16 of the Constitution concerning higher education, it accused ELAS of conducting “rehearsals for a coalition government” with New Democracy.
The next round of the political battle focused on the parties’ finances, with ELAS choosing to shift the debate to what it considered more favorable ground. PASOK responded by questioning the sources of funding for the new political venture and hinting at the existence of undisclosed donors.
As political activity returns to normal after the summer break, one thing is certain: the two parties will find many more opportunities, real or otherwise, to clash. For both, confrontation has become the only path forward.
For now, the immediate issue is which party will gain the upper hand in the fall polls, a particularly important factor ahead of the elections, whenever they may be held. The real prize, however, is second place at the ballot box, which will be vital to what comes next.
