PASOK stages a 12-hour play of the Theatre of the Absurd

The PSI programme issue remains open. The new loan is up in the air. Election time remains unknown. As for the interim, the Papademos government, which inherited all of the previous government's problems, has still not found its pace. Everything is at stake, society is grieving but what they did in PASOK was to organize a 12-hour-long meeting, during which the main question asked by many of the party members such as Petsalnikos, Papoutsis and Venizelos, was “why rush?”.

For the moment, many of the leading party figures are only thinking of becoming the next PASOK leader and not of the actual hot day-to-day issues that keep arising from every corner of Greek political life and the citizens’ reality. They keep fighting like cats and dogs and they also blame the Media for turning people against them, without being able to realize that their anxieties are their problem, shared with nobody else than their inter-party “buddies”.

Nevertheless, apparently, George Papandreou has decided to leave his post and the next PASOK head will be elected among the party’s members and friends. These two “principles” seem to have been the present and only solid facts born during the long hours of the aforementioned meeting.
 
“The premiership and the party’s presidency come second, as what matters to me is the needs of the country and the Greek citizens”, said Papandreou.

“I will fulfil my duties in the best of ways. I want to help keep PASOK united since, as a party, it remains one of the stability pillars”, he added.

However, although high-ranking PASOK officials want him out of the picture within January, he wishes to postpone his “departure”, contrary to what he has stated up to now.

Health minister Andreas Loverdos was among those who criticized him and pushed him to act fast, since “there is not enough room for prolonging the succession process”.

Venizelos appeared to move along the same lines as he asked for a concluded leadership shift by mid-January, saying, in particular, that “the future of the country should be decided not at the polls but from the middle of January onwards and through the following two to three weeks.

Education minister Anna Diamantopoulou also asked Papandreou to clarify where he stands, “so that each party member can decide which path to follow”.    
 
Similar to the stances mentioned above was the one of Michalis Chrysochoidis who underlined the need for unity and a common line - of PASOK and the other Greek parties - as to the EU route Greece wishes to take.
 
Taking into account the position of leading PASOK officials, the situation will be fully evaluated on January 4, at the meeting of the party’s political council.