A column and a reply

Thanasis Karteros, a journalist and former speechwriter for Alexis Tsipras who sits on ELAS's political committee, wrote in Efimerida ton Syntakton that PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis was an idiot, asking whether Androulakis is an idiot at all. That column appeared on Saturday, 10 October, and drew criticism from PASOK officials. In a new column published on 13 October, Karteros rejected claims that Tsipras was behind his criticism and then turned to Androulakis, asking which political forces he intends to work with after the elections.

“My pen is my own, my signature is my own, my responsibility is my own, and so is any error.”

In the same column Karteros argued that Androulakis has not explained how a progressive majority would be formed, or with whom he would cooperate if PASOK finishes third.

PASOK answers and blames Tsipras

The party headquarters on Charilaou Trikoupi responded by linking Karteros's column to remarks from Panos Kammenos, Tsipras's former governing partner, who spoke dismissively of Androulakis on Open and predicted 7% for PASOK in the elections. The party said 'different political forces' were targeting its leader 'for the benefit of Kyriakos Mitsotakis', called the attacks 'sewage of far-right inspiration', and accused Tsipras of orchestrating a 'smear campaign'. Tsipras replied that his opponent is Mitsotakis, but that 'seven out of ten statements by PASOK officials are against ELAS'. Earlier, he had described the jibes exchanged between the two parties as normal for a pre-election period.

George Siakantaris, a former PASOK member who co-wrote ELAS's founding manifesto, exclaimed 'shame' at Karteros's insults. PASOK cited his reaction as evidence of toxicity and fanaticism on the progressive side, which it blamed on Tsipras.

Lawsuit and silence from ELAS

Anna Papadopoulou, ELAS's deputy spokesperson, filed a complaint against former PASOK MP Dimitris Konstantopoulos for insult and threat, and the case is to go to court. Konstantopoulos apologised, and PASOK is treating the matter as closed. ELAS has described Karteros as an 'autonomous pen', and no party official had publicly criticised the tone of his column. Tsipras, speaking from Crete, did not criticise PASOK and said that his only opponent is New Democracy.

Second place and the next election

Commentators frame the feud as a fight for second place, with six or seven months left before the elections, according to NewsIT. Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said on the question of a single-party majority:

“A new single-party government is obviously not an easy goal, but it is achievable.”

A NEWS 24/7 commentary argues that New Democracy's ceiling is far below the 39 to 40 percent needed to form a single-party government. Tsipras, in a widely shared TikTok video with a former basketball player who joined ELAS, put his strategy simply:

“If I lose in this round, we will go to a second round and I will win.”

NewsIT writes that Tsipras is betting on a second election in which his party would finish first, on the logic that Mitsotakis would find no parties to work with. A NEWS 24/7 commentary expects the two opposition leaders to tear into each other until the vote.