Panhellenic Socialist Movement
Encyclopedia
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement , known mostly by its acronym PASOK , is one of the two
major
political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou
, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic
party to win a majority in parliament.
The party is a socialist
party and a member of the Socialist International
, but this has come under scrutiny by a portion of the Greek public and media in recent years, as they criticize PASOK for abandoning its original socialist principles; PASOK's traditional supporters, including labor unionists, farmers and university students, were strongly against the 2009-2011 George Papandreou government In the 2009 elections
PASOK won a majority in parliament of 160 seats, and it currently holds a slim majority of 152 seats. It also holds 8 seats in the European Parliament
.
The current president of PASOK is George Papandreou
, who is also president of the Socialist International
and was Prime Minister of Greece
between 2009 and 2011.
. Its founder was Andreas Papandreou
, son of the late Greek liberal
leader and three times Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou, Sr. Its founding mottos were "National Independence, Popular Sovereignty, Social Emancipation, Democratic Process." Andreas Papandreou was offered the leadership of the liberal political forces immediately after the restoration of democracy, but in a risky move he declined, so the leadership was assumed by Georgios Mavros
. Papandreou also explicitly rejected the ideological heritage of his father, and stressed the fact that he was a socialist, not a liberal. Papandreou was a very powerful orator and charismatic leader, probably the last in the political history of Greece.
PASOK received only 13.5% of the vote and won 15 seats (out of 300), coming third behind the center-right New Democracy
party of Konstantinos Karamanlis and the centrist Center Union - New Forces
of Georgios Mavros
. At the November 1977 elections
, however, PASOK eclipsed the centrists, doubled its share of the vote and won 92 seats, becoming the main opposition party.
, he changed his policy towards both institutions. He proved to be an excellent negotiator when it came to securing benefits and subsidies for Greece from the EEC. For example, in 1985 he openly threatened Jacques Delors
to veto the entry of Spain
and Portugal
in the Community in order to secure more monetary aid for Greece.
In 1986, the PASOK government amended the Greek constitution
to remove most powers from the President and give wider authority to the Prime Minister and the Executive Government. Civil marriage
s, not consecrated by religious ceremony, were recognized as equally valid with religious weddings. The left-wing Resistance movement
against the Axis in World War II
was recognized after, and leftist resistance fighters were given state pensions, while political refugees of the Greek Civil War
were finally given permission to return to Greece. The National Health System was created. Various repressive laws of the anti-communist postwar establishment were abolished; wages were boosted; an independent and multidimensional foreign policy was pursued; there were many reforms in Family Law
to strengthen the rights of women; and the Greek Gendarmerie
was abolished in 1984. At the June 1985 elections, PASOK got 46% of the vote and won 161 seats, thus securing a stable parliamentary majority for its second term in power. PASOK continued to be popular for much of its second term, especially when in March 1987 Andreas Papandreou vigorously and successfully handled a crisis in the Aegean with Turkey. By late 1988 however, both the government's popularity and Papandreou's health had declined. The former, due to press reports of financial and corruption scandals that surfaced, implicating Ministers and, allegedly, Papandreou himself as well as due to fiscal austerity measures imposed after the Keynesian policies of the first term. PASOK lost the June 1989 elections with 40% of the vote while the opposing New Democracy got 44,3%. PASOK had changed the electoral law before the elections, making it harder for the leading party to form a majority government, so the legislature was deadlocked. PASOK's share of the vote in June 1989 was not considered a failure; for months there was a concerted mudslinging aimed at PASOK by the conservative press.
Another election in November produced a very similar result. After a brief period of a grand coalition government, in which PASOK participated, a third election in April 1990 brought New Democracy back to power. Despite a 7% lead in popular vote over PASOK, New Democracy could only secure a marginal majority in the parliament, electing 152 MPs out of a total of 300; PASOK had secured a larger number of representatives on a lower percentage of votes, as well as a smaller lead, in the elections of 1985, under the previous electoral system. PASOK's representation in parliament shrunk to 121 MPs in 1990.
In opposition, PASOK underwent a leadership crisis when Papandreou was prosecuted over his supposed involvement in the Bank of Crete
scandal. He was eventually acquitted and, in a dramatic reversal of fortunes, at the October 1993 elections he led PASOK to another landslide victory. PASOK returned to office with 47% of the vote. His re-election was considered by many a vote of confidence of the public against his prosecution. In November 1995, however, Papandreou's health began to deteriorate and PASOK was racked with leadership conflicts.
, the candidate of the modernising, pro-European
wing of PASOK (the so-called "modernizers", εκσυγχρονιστές), who won an internal vote against Akis Tsochatzopoulos
, a Papandreou confidant. In the first days following his election, Simitis faced the biggest crisis in Greek politics for over 20 years, the Imia crisis. Simitis was criticized for his soft stance against Turkey and especially for praising in public the American intervention.
In a PASOK conference in the summer of 1996, following Papandreou's death, Simitis was elected leader of the Party and called early elections seeking a renewed public vote of confidence. Although the Imia crisis had somewhat tarnished his image, the country's economic prosperity and his matter-of-fact administration won him the September 1996 general election with 41.5% of the vote. Under Simitis' leadership, PASOK had two major successes : In September 1997 Greece won the right to stage the 2004 Olympic Games
and in 2001 it was confirmed that the country would be included in the Euro-zone, for which it had failed to meet the convergence criteria in 1998. Simitis won another term in April 2000, narrowly winning with 43.8% of the vote and 158 seats: a substantial achievement for a party which had been in power almost continuously for nearly 20 years.
In 2000, after the assassination of Brigadier
Saunders
by the terrorist
group 17 November
(17N), and especially with the forthcoming Athens Olympics
being a major terrorist target, significant international pressure was exerted on PASOK authorities to recognise that Greece had a terrorist problem and secondly, to bring the terrorist group to justice. Some amongst the western media
had even accused PASOK of colluding with the terrorists. Under the guidance of British and US experts, the government intensified its efforts and finally, with a string of events starting at 29 June 2002, the 17N members were captured and put to trial.
Nevertheless, PASOK was losing its traditional appeal to the Greek lower and middle classes
. In order to revitalize PASOK's chances for the next elections, Costas Simitis
7 January 2004 announced his resignation as leader of PASOK. He was succeeded by George Papandreou
, son of Andreas Papandreou. PASOK hoped that Papandreou could reverse the slide in the opinion polls which saw the opposition New Democracy
party, under Kostas Karamanlis, 7% ahead at the start of the year.
But although Papandreou reduced ND's lead in the polls to 3%, he was unable to reverse the view of a majority of Greek voters that PASOK had been in power too long and had grown lazy, corrupt and had abandoned the inclusive, progressive principles of economic parity on which it was founded. ND had a comfortable win at the 7 March elections
, placing PASOK in opposition after eleven years in office with 40.55% share of the vote and 117 seats.
On 16 September 2007, the New Democracy
party headed by Costas Karamanlis won re-election
with a marginal majority
of 152 seats in the parliament
. Despite ND
's falling performance in the Greek legislative election, 2007, PASOK suffered a crushing defeat, registering 38.1% of the vote, its lowest percentage in almost 30 years, and 102 seats in Parliament.
The dismal result led to activation of the procedure to select new leadership
, or to reaffirm the previous one. The main competitors for the leadership were the incumbent George Papandreou and the party's informal second in command, Professor
Evangelos Venizelos
, MP for Thessaloniki
. Kostas Skandalidis
also announced his candidacy in September. According to party regulation, leaders are elected in a voting process open to all party members. During the leadership election of 11 November 2007
George Papandreou was re-elected by the friends and members of the party as the leader of PASOK.
in Greece. Four months later, the party enjoyed a resounding victory in the October 2009 general elections
with 43.92 % of the popular vote to ND
's 33.48 %, and 160 parliament seats to 91. Due to a number of defections and expulsions since 2009, PASOK currently (from 1 November 2011) holds a slim majority of 152 of the parliament
's 300 seats.
A poll in October 2011 on behalf of the Greek TV channel Skai TV
and the newspaper Kathimerini
revealed that, of the people asked, 92% felt disappointed by the government while only 5% believe that a PASOK government would be best for the country in the next elections. In the same survey, when asked about whether people have a positive or negative opinion of the various Greek political parties, PASOK scored as the lowest, with 76% answering "negative", although it should be acknowledged that all the parties had strongly negative assessments. The same survey showed that PASOK's support if elections were to be held would be 22.5%, the lowest since 1977, while gaining only 53-77 seats.
, West Greece
, the Ionian Islands
, the vast majority of the Aegean Islands
and, in recent years, Thrace
. In Crete there is a long tradition of republicanism, liberalism and progressivism from the tradition of Eleftherios Venizelos
. West Greece is the birthplace and powerbase of the Papandreou family. The Ionian Islands, partly because they escaped the ravages of Ottoman rule, have always been the most politically progressive Greek regions and it was in these islands that the Greek socialist movement first developed. The Aegean Islands have benefited from various welfare measures implemented by successive PASOK governments, while in Thrace, the local Muslim minority
consistently prefers PASOK over the right-wing New Democracy. On the other hand, PASOK usually comes second to the conservative New Democracy
party in the Peloponnese
, in Central Macedonia
and in West Macedonia
. Other regions such as Thessaly
and Central Greece
do not have a very strong political identity.
. During Andreas Papandreou's leadership, wages were substantially boosted and capital gains were progressively taxed. At the very beginning, the members and the leadership of the party, were very critical of NATO and the European Economic Community
. This attitude was soon abandoned and the Greek participation in EEC was enforced. Andreas Papandreou kept a close relationship with leaders like Yasser Arafat
and Muammar Gaddafi
while the latter was still devulging his ideal of an Islamic socialist republic. He wished to create a world where wealth and power would be shared by more countries than just the United States. After Papandreou's death, Kostas Simitis was elected president of PASOK. Simitis represented the centre-left and centrist factions of the Movement and this resulted to his effort to modernize PASOK, making it a purely social democratic party. Tight fiscal policies, privatization of state enterprises and a broadening of the tax base (by shifting the tax burden to the lower quintiles) were implemented. Direct result of these policies, was the electoral defeat of PASOK in 2004. The strictly neoliberal New Democracy
policies adopted by the new government, forced PASOK to turn left under the promising leadership of George Papandreou
. Five years later, after the new electoral triumph of PASOK in 2009, expectations were high. Due to an enormous deficit, in 2010, the Prime Minister and leader of PASOK, adopted neoliberal policies, allegedly under the pressure of the European Union
, like further privatization of state enterprises, salary cuts and heavier taxation of working and middle class citizens. Additionally, the country was forced to ask for a loan from the International Monetary Fund
and the European Central Bank
. These policies, caused major demonstrations against the government with the participation of the more left factions of the party as well. This abandonment of PASOK's original principles and ideas, caused great discomfort to the voters of the party even though it seems that it still retains its popularity against New Democracy and the parties of the Left. This September, during the assembly of the National Council in memory of the foundation of the party, an ideological debate will take place.
is common in Greek politics; George Papandreou was preceded by both his father, Andreas, and his grandfather, Georgios Papandreou, as prominent Greek political leaders.
Two-party system
A two-party system is a system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government and, as a result, all or nearly all elected offices are members of one of the two major parties...
major
Major party
A major party is a political party that holds substantial influence in a country's politics, standing in contrast to a minor party. It should not be confused with majority party.According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:...
political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou
Andreas Papandreou
Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic...
, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
party to win a majority in parliament.
The party is a socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
party and a member of the Socialist International
Socialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
, but this has come under scrutiny by a portion of the Greek public and media in recent years, as they criticize PASOK for abandoning its original socialist principles; PASOK's traditional supporters, including labor unionists, farmers and university students, were strongly against the 2009-2011 George Papandreou government In the 2009 elections
Greek legislative election, 2009
Parliamentary elections were held in Greece on 4 October 2009. An election was not required until September 2011.On 2 September Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis announced he would request President Karolos Papoulias to dissolve Parliament and call an election...
PASOK won a majority in parliament of 160 seats, and it currently holds a slim majority of 152 seats. It also holds 8 seats in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
.
The current president of PASOK is George Papandreou
George Papandreou
Georgios A. Papandreou , commonly anglicised to George and shortened to Γιώργος in Greek, is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece following his party's victory in the 2009 legislative election...
, who is also president of the Socialist International
Socialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
and was Prime Minister of Greece
Prime Minister of Greece
The Prime Minister of Greece , officially the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic , is the head of government of the Hellenic Republic and the leader of the Greek cabinet. The current interim Prime Minister is Lucas Papademos, a former Vice President of the European Central Bank, following...
between 2009 and 2011.
Foundation
PASOK was established on 3 September 1974 following the restoration of Greek democracy after the collapse of the military dictatorship of 1967-1974Greek military junta of 1967-1974
The Greek military junta of 1967–1974, alternatively "The Regime of the Colonels" , or in Greece "The Junta", and "The Seven Years" are terms used to refer to a series of right-wing military governments that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974...
. Its founder was Andreas Papandreou
Andreas Papandreou
Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic...
, son of the late Greek liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
leader and three times Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou, Sr. Its founding mottos were "National Independence, Popular Sovereignty, Social Emancipation, Democratic Process." Andreas Papandreou was offered the leadership of the liberal political forces immediately after the restoration of democracy, but in a risky move he declined, so the leadership was assumed by Georgios Mavros
Georgios Mavros
Georgios Mavros was a Greek jurist and politician. He served in several ministerial posts, and was Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister in the 1974 national unity government following the restoration of democracy.He taught Law at the University of Athens from 1937 to 1942, and...
. Papandreou also explicitly rejected the ideological heritage of his father, and stressed the fact that he was a socialist, not a liberal. Papandreou was a very powerful orator and charismatic leader, probably the last in the political history of Greece.
The first years
At the November 1974 electionsGreek legislative election, 1974
The first free elections since 1964 and after the end of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974 took place in Greece on November 17, 1974 during the metapolitefsi....
PASOK received only 13.5% of the vote and won 15 seats (out of 300), coming third behind the center-right New Democracy
New Democracy (Greece)
New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic...
party of Konstantinos Karamanlis and the centrist Center Union - New Forces
Center Union - New Forces
Centre Union – New Forces was the continuation of the Centre Union party of George Papandreou after the military junta...
of Georgios Mavros
Georgios Mavros
Georgios Mavros was a Greek jurist and politician. He served in several ministerial posts, and was Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister in the 1974 national unity government following the restoration of democracy.He taught Law at the University of Athens from 1937 to 1942, and...
. At the November 1977 elections
Greek legislative election, 1977
In the Greek legislative election, 1977, Prime Minister, Constantine Karamanlis, called for early elections. His party, New Democracy, suffered a significant loss of power, but, nevertheless, Karamanlis managed to secure an absolute majority in the Parliament. The big surprise was the success of...
, however, PASOK eclipsed the centrists, doubled its share of the vote and won 92 seats, becoming the main opposition party.
In government
At the October 1981 national elections PASOK won a landslide victory with 48% of the vote and capturing 173 seats; it formed the first socialist government in the history of Greece since 1924. Although Papandreou had campaigned for withdrawal of Greece from NATO and the European Economic CommunityEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, he changed his policy towards both institutions. He proved to be an excellent negotiator when it came to securing benefits and subsidies for Greece from the EEC. For example, in 1985 he openly threatened Jacques Delors
Jacques Delors
Jacques Lucien Jean Delors is a French economist and politician, the eighth President of the European Commission and the first person to serve three terms in that office .-French Politics:...
to veto the entry of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in the Community in order to secure more monetary aid for Greece.
In 1986, the PASOK government amended the Greek constitution
Greek Constitutional amendment of 1986
The Greek Constitutional amendment of 1986 was based on the previously increased responsibilities of the President of the Republic. Despite the fact that the "increased" responsibilities of the President of the Republic were never exercised until 1986, by virtue of their mere existence they...
to remove most powers from the President and give wider authority to the Prime Minister and the Executive Government. Civil marriage
Civil marriage
Civil marriage is marriage performed by a government official and not a religious organization.-History:Every country maintaining a population registry of its residents keeps track of marital status, and most countries believe that it is their responsibility to register married couples. Most...
s, not consecrated by religious ceremony, were recognized as equally valid with religious weddings. The left-wing Resistance movement
Greek Resistance
The Greek Resistance is the blanket term for a number of armed and unarmed groups from across the political spectrum that resisted the Axis Occupation of Greece in the period 1941–1944, during World War II.-Origins:...
against the Axis in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was recognized after, and leftist resistance fighters were given state pensions, while political refugees of the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
were finally given permission to return to Greece. The National Health System was created. Various repressive laws of the anti-communist postwar establishment were abolished; wages were boosted; an independent and multidimensional foreign policy was pursued; there were many reforms in Family Law
Family law
Family law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations including:*the nature of marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships;...
to strengthen the rights of women; and the Greek Gendarmerie
Greek Gendarmerie
The Hellenic Gendarmerie was the national gendarmerie and military police force of Greece.-19th Century:The Greek Gendarmerie was established after the enthronement of King Otto in 1833 as the Royal Gendarmerie and modeled after the French Gendarmerie. It was at that time formally part of the...
was abolished in 1984. At the June 1985 elections, PASOK got 46% of the vote and won 161 seats, thus securing a stable parliamentary majority for its second term in power. PASOK continued to be popular for much of its second term, especially when in March 1987 Andreas Papandreou vigorously and successfully handled a crisis in the Aegean with Turkey. By late 1988 however, both the government's popularity and Papandreou's health had declined. The former, due to press reports of financial and corruption scandals that surfaced, implicating Ministers and, allegedly, Papandreou himself as well as due to fiscal austerity measures imposed after the Keynesian policies of the first term. PASOK lost the June 1989 elections with 40% of the vote while the opposing New Democracy got 44,3%. PASOK had changed the electoral law before the elections, making it harder for the leading party to form a majority government, so the legislature was deadlocked. PASOK's share of the vote in June 1989 was not considered a failure; for months there was a concerted mudslinging aimed at PASOK by the conservative press.
Another election in November produced a very similar result. After a brief period of a grand coalition government, in which PASOK participated, a third election in April 1990 brought New Democracy back to power. Despite a 7% lead in popular vote over PASOK, New Democracy could only secure a marginal majority in the parliament, electing 152 MPs out of a total of 300; PASOK had secured a larger number of representatives on a lower percentage of votes, as well as a smaller lead, in the elections of 1985, under the previous electoral system. PASOK's representation in parliament shrunk to 121 MPs in 1990.
In opposition, PASOK underwent a leadership crisis when Papandreou was prosecuted over his supposed involvement in the Bank of Crete
Bank of Crete
Following the departure of the Ottoman forces in December 1898, the Cretan government under Eleftherios Venizelos established the Bank of Crete with the assistance of the National Bank of Greece. The bank received the exclusive privilege, for thirty years, of issuing banknotes in the island of...
scandal. He was eventually acquitted and, in a dramatic reversal of fortunes, at the October 1993 elections he led PASOK to another landslide victory. PASOK returned to office with 47% of the vote. His re-election was considered by many a vote of confidence of the public against his prosecution. In November 1995, however, Papandreou's health began to deteriorate and PASOK was racked with leadership conflicts.
The "modernization" period
In January 1996 Papandreou retired after a protracted three-month long hospitalization, during which he retained the role of prime minister; he died six months later. He was succeeded by Costas SimitisCostas Simitis
Konstantinos Simitis , usually referred to as Costas Simitis or Kostas Simitis, was Prime Minister of Greece and leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement from 1996 to 2004.- Biography :...
, the candidate of the modernising, pro-European
Pro-European
Pro-European is a subjective term applied to a person who supports the idea of European unification and generally supports further 'deepening' of European integration, specifically in the context of political argument over the current and future status of the EU and its policies.-The Pro-European...
wing of PASOK (the so-called "modernizers", εκσυγχρονιστές), who won an internal vote against Akis Tsochatzopoulos
Akis Tsochatzopoulos
Apostolos Tsochatzopoulos, commonly known by the diminutive form Akis , is a Greek politician and a leading cabinet minister in several PASOK cabinets....
, a Papandreou confidant. In the first days following his election, Simitis faced the biggest crisis in Greek politics for over 20 years, the Imia crisis. Simitis was criticized for his soft stance against Turkey and especially for praising in public the American intervention.
In a PASOK conference in the summer of 1996, following Papandreou's death, Simitis was elected leader of the Party and called early elections seeking a renewed public vote of confidence. Although the Imia crisis had somewhat tarnished his image, the country's economic prosperity and his matter-of-fact administration won him the September 1996 general election with 41.5% of the vote. Under Simitis' leadership, PASOK had two major successes : In September 1997 Greece won the right to stage the 2004 Olympic Games
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and in 2001 it was confirmed that the country would be included in the Euro-zone, for which it had failed to meet the convergence criteria in 1998. Simitis won another term in April 2000, narrowly winning with 43.8% of the vote and 158 seats: a substantial achievement for a party which had been in power almost continuously for nearly 20 years.
In 2000, after the assassination of Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Saunders
Stephen Saunders (military attache)
Brigadier Stephen Saunders , the British military attaché in Athens, was killed on 8 June 2000 by motorcycle gunmen who were members of Revolutionary Organization 17 November...
by the terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
group 17 November
Revolutionary Organization 17 November
Revolutionary Organization 17 November , was a Marxist urban guerrilla organization formed in 1975 and believed to have been disbanded in 2002 after the arrest and trial of a...
(17N), and especially with the forthcoming Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
being a major terrorist target, significant international pressure was exerted on PASOK authorities to recognise that Greece had a terrorist problem and secondly, to bring the terrorist group to justice. Some amongst the western media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
had even accused PASOK of colluding with the terrorists. Under the guidance of British and US experts, the government intensified its efforts and finally, with a string of events starting at 29 June 2002, the 17N members were captured and put to trial.
Nevertheless, PASOK was losing its traditional appeal to the Greek lower and middle classes
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
. In order to revitalize PASOK's chances for the next elections, Costas Simitis
Costas Simitis
Konstantinos Simitis , usually referred to as Costas Simitis or Kostas Simitis, was Prime Minister of Greece and leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement from 1996 to 2004.- Biography :...
7 January 2004 announced his resignation as leader of PASOK. He was succeeded by George Papandreou
George Papandreou
Georgios A. Papandreou , commonly anglicised to George and shortened to Γιώργος in Greek, is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece following his party's victory in the 2009 legislative election...
, son of Andreas Papandreou. PASOK hoped that Papandreou could reverse the slide in the opinion polls which saw the opposition New Democracy
New Democracy (Greece)
New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic...
party, under Kostas Karamanlis, 7% ahead at the start of the year.
But although Papandreou reduced ND's lead in the polls to 3%, he was unable to reverse the view of a majority of Greek voters that PASOK had been in power too long and had grown lazy, corrupt and had abandoned the inclusive, progressive principles of economic parity on which it was founded. ND had a comfortable win at the 7 March elections
Greek legislative election, 2004
Legislative elections were held in Greece on March 7, 2004. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek Parliament, the Vouli . The New Democracy Party of Kostas Karamanlis won a decisive victory in the elections, ending eleven years of rule by the Panhellenic Socialist Movement .PASOK was led into the...
, placing PASOK in opposition after eleven years in office with 40.55% share of the vote and 117 seats.
2007 parliamentary elections
New Democracy (Greece)
New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic...
party headed by Costas Karamanlis won re-election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
with a marginal majority
Majority
A majority is a subset of a group consisting of more than half of its members. This can be compared to a plurality, which is a subset larger than any other subset; i.e. a plurality is not necessarily a majority as the largest subset may consist of less than half the group's population...
of 152 seats in the parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. Despite ND
New Democracy (Greece)
New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic...
's falling performance in the Greek legislative election, 2007, PASOK suffered a crushing defeat, registering 38.1% of the vote, its lowest percentage in almost 30 years, and 102 seats in Parliament.
The dismal result led to activation of the procedure to select new leadership
Panhellenic Socialist Movement leadership election, 2007
A leadership election was held on November 11, 2007 in the Panhellenic Socialist Movement , Greece's main centre-left party, after it was defeated in the parliamentary election earlier that year...
, or to reaffirm the previous one. The main competitors for the leadership were the incumbent George Papandreou and the party's informal second in command, Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
Evangelos Venizelos
Evangelos Venizelos
Evangelos Venizelos is a Greek politician, currently Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance of Greece since 17 June 2011...
, MP for Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
. Kostas Skandalidis
Kostas Skandalidis
Kostas Skandalidis is a Greek Politician and member of the Greek Parliament for the Panhellenic Socialist Movement for the Athens A constituency. Since September 2010 he is the Minister for Rural Development and Food of Greece.-Life:...
also announced his candidacy in September. According to party regulation, leaders are elected in a voting process open to all party members. During the leadership election of 11 November 2007
Panhellenic Socialist Movement leadership election, 2007
A leadership election was held on November 11, 2007 in the Panhellenic Socialist Movement , Greece's main centre-left party, after it was defeated in the parliamentary election earlier that year...
George Papandreou was re-elected by the friends and members of the party as the leader of PASOK.
2009 elections
In June 2009, PASOK won the 2009 European Parliament electionEuropean Parliament election, 2009 (Greece)
The European Parliament election of 2009 in Greece for the election of the delegation from Greece to the European Parliament in 2009 took place on June 7, 2009. The election system used in Greece is party-list proportional representation with a 3% threshold for any party...
in Greece. Four months later, the party enjoyed a resounding victory in the October 2009 general elections
Greek legislative election, 2009
Parliamentary elections were held in Greece on 4 October 2009. An election was not required until September 2011.On 2 September Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis announced he would request President Karolos Papoulias to dissolve Parliament and call an election...
with 43.92 % of the popular vote to ND
New Democracy (Greece)
New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic...
's 33.48 %, and 160 parliament seats to 91. Due to a number of defections and expulsions since 2009, PASOK currently (from 1 November 2011) holds a slim majority of 152 of the parliament
Hellenic Parliament
The Hellenic Parliament , also the Parliament of the Hellenes, is the Parliament of Greece, located in the Parliament House , overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece....
's 300 seats.
A poll in October 2011 on behalf of the Greek TV channel Skai TV
Skai TV
Skai TV is a Greek TV station, based in Pireus, Athens. It is part of the Skai Group one of the largest media groups in Greece. It was relaunched in its present form on April 1, 2006 in Athens and gradually managed to spread its coverage nationwide. Besides analog over-the-air transmission, it is...
and the newspaper Kathimerini
Kathimerini
I Kathimerini is a daily morning newspaper published in Athens. It is published in the Greek language, as well as in an abridged English-language edition. The English edition is sold separately in the United States and as a supplement to the International Herald Tribune in Greece and Cyprus. On 2...
revealed that, of the people asked, 92% felt disappointed by the government while only 5% believe that a PASOK government would be best for the country in the next elections. In the same survey, when asked about whether people have a positive or negative opinion of the various Greek political parties, PASOK scored as the lowest, with 76% answering "negative", although it should be acknowledged that all the parties had strongly negative assessments. The same survey showed that PASOK's support if elections were to be held would be 22.5%, the lowest since 1977, while gaining only 53-77 seats.
Support
The regions that consistently support PASOK are CreteCrete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, West Greece
West Greece
West Greece is one of the thirteen regions of Greece. It comprises the western part of continental Greece and the northwestern part of the Peloponnese peninsula.- Administration :...
, the Ionian Islands
Ionian Islands
The Ionian Islands are a group of islands in Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese, i.e...
, the vast majority of the Aegean Islands
Aegean Islands
The Aegean Islands are the group of islands in the Aegean Sea, with mainland Greece to the west and north and Turkey to the east; the island of Crete delimits the sea to the south, those of Rhodes, Karpathos and Kasos to the southeast...
and, in recent years, Thrace
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
. In Crete there is a long tradition of republicanism, liberalism and progressivism from the tradition of Eleftherios Venizelos
Eleftherios Venizelos
Eleftherios Venizelos was an eminent Greek revolutionary, a prominent and illustrious statesman as well as a charismatic leader in the early 20th century. Elected several times as Prime Minister of Greece and served from 1910 to 1920 and from 1928 to 1932...
. West Greece is the birthplace and powerbase of the Papandreou family. The Ionian Islands, partly because they escaped the ravages of Ottoman rule, have always been the most politically progressive Greek regions and it was in these islands that the Greek socialist movement first developed. The Aegean Islands have benefited from various welfare measures implemented by successive PASOK governments, while in Thrace, the local Muslim minority
Muslim minority of Greece
The Muslim minority of Greece is the only explicitly recognized minority in Greece. It numbers 97,604 people or 0.91% of the total population, according to the 1991 census , and 140,000 people or 1.24% of the total population, according to the United States Department of State.The Muslim minority...
consistently prefers PASOK over the right-wing New Democracy. On the other hand, PASOK usually comes second to the conservative New Democracy
New Democracy
New Democracy or the New Democratic Revolution is a Maoist concept based on Mao Zedong's "Bloc of Four Social Classes" theory during post-revolutionary China which argues that democracy in China will take a decisively distinct path from either the liberal capitalist and/or parliamentary democratic...
party in the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
, in Central Macedonia
Central Macedonia
Central Macedonia is one of the thirteen regions of Greece, consisting of the central part of the region of Macedonia. With a population of over 1.8 million, it is the second most populous in Greece after Attica.- Administration :...
and in West Macedonia
West Macedonia
West Macedonia is one of the thirteen regions of Greece, consisting of the western part of Greek Macedonia. It is divided into the regional units of Florina, Grevena, Kastoria, and Kozani.-Geography:...
. Other regions such as Thessaly
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
and Central Greece
Central Greece
Continental Greece or Central Greece , colloquially known as Roúmeli , is a geographical region of Greece. Its territory is divided into the administrative regions of Central Greece, Attica, and part of West Greece...
do not have a very strong political identity.
Party Organization
-
- Party Congress, convened every two years
- President - George Papandreou
- Secretary - Michalis KarchimakisMichalis KarchimakisMichalis Karchimakis is a Greek politician of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement . Since 9 October 2009 he is Deputy Minister for Agricultural Development and Food, and from 14 September 2010 General Secretary of PASOK.-Life:...
- Election Manifesto Committee Chair - Mimis Androulakis
- Press spokesman: Maria Karaklioumi
- National Council: the ruling party institution in between congresses :
- George Papandreou
- Evangelos VenizelosEvangelos VenizelosEvangelos Venizelos is a Greek politician, currently Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance of Greece since 17 June 2011...
- Theodoros PangalosTheodoros PangalosTheodoros Pangalos is a Greek politician and leading member of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement. He currently serves as the Vice-President of the Greek government, responsible for the coordination of the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense and the new Economic & Social Policy...
- Christos PapoutsisChristos PapoutsisChristos Papoutsis is a Greek socialist politician, serving as the Minister for Citizen Protection as of September 7, 2010. Prior to his current office he has served as Minister of Mercantile Marine and European Commissioner responsible for Energy, EURATOM Supply Agency, SMEs, Tourism and...
- Kostas SkandalidisKostas SkandalidisKostas Skandalidis is a Greek Politician and member of the Greek Parliament for the Panhellenic Socialist Movement for the Athens A constituency. Since September 2010 he is the Minister for Rural Development and Food of Greece.-Life:...
- Giannis DiamantidisGiannis DiamantidisGiannis Diamantidis is a Greek politician of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement and the former Minister for Maritime Affairs, Islands and Fisheries of Greece.-Life:...
- Louka KatseliLouka KatseliLouka Katseli is the former Greek Minister for Labour and Social Security.-Early life and education:...
- Michalis Chrysochoidis
- Michalis KarchimakisMichalis KarchimakisMichalis Karchimakis is a Greek politician of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement . Since 9 October 2009 he is Deputy Minister for Agricultural Development and Food, and from 14 September 2010 General Secretary of PASOK.-Life:...
- Stavros LambrinidisStavros LambrinidisStavros Lambrinidis is a former Vice President of the European Parliament and was between 17 June 2011 until 11 November 2011 the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece.-Yale University:...
- Spyros Kouvelis
- Haris Kastanidis
- Litsa Kouroupaki
- Dimitris ReppasDimitris ReppasDimitris Reppas is a Greek politician of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement and the first and current Minister for Administrative Reform of Greece.-Life:Dimitris Reppas was born in 1952 in Tripoli, Greece...
- Panos Beglitis
- Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou
- Evi ChristofilopoulouEvi ChristofilopoulouEvi Christofilopoulou is the Deputy Minister of Education, Lifelong learning and Religions of Greece.-Early Life and Education:Evi Christofilopoulou was born in 1956 in Athens, Greece...
- Anna DiamantopoulouAnna DiamantopoulouAnna Diamantopoulou , is a Member of Parliament in Greece for the party of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement and the current Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs in Greece...
- Dina Bei
- Elias Mossialos
- Manolis Othonas
- Giannis IoannidisGiannis IoannidisGiannis Ioannidis is a Greek New Democracy politician and a famous ex basketball coach. Ioannidis was born in Thessaloniki, and studied Agriculture in the Faculty of Geotechnical Sciences at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki...
- George Petalotis
- Pavlos GeroulanosPavlos GeroulanosPavlos Geroulanos is a Greek politician for the Panhellenic Socialist Movement. Since 2009, he serves as the Minister for Culture and Tourism of Greece.-Life:...
- Sokratis Xinidis
- Fofi Gennimata
- Giannis RagousisGiannis RagousisGiannis Ragousis is a Greek economist and politician of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement. He is currently the Alternate Minister for National Defence.-Education:...
- Political council, 14 members elected by the National Council, plus the President and Secretary ex officio:
- Tonia Antoniou
- Nikos Androulakis
- Fofi Gennimata
- Kostas Askounis
- Michalis KarchimakisMichalis KarchimakisMichalis Karchimakis is a Greek politician of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement . Since 9 October 2009 he is Deputy Minister for Agricultural Development and Food, and from 14 September 2010 General Secretary of PASOK.-Life:...
- Louka KatseliLouka KatseliLouka Katseli is the former Greek Minister for Labour and Social Security.-Early life and education:...
- Paris Koukoulopoulos
- Giannis Koutsoukos
- Panos Beglitis
- Thanos Moraïtis
- Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou
- Konstantinos Rovlias
- Giorgos Panagiotakopoulos
- Sylvana Rapti
- Parliamentary spokesmen:
- Evangelos VenizelosEvangelos VenizelosEvangelos Venizelos is a Greek politician, currently Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance of Greece since 17 June 2011...
- Theodoros PangalosTheodoros PangalosTheodoros Pangalos is a Greek politician and leading member of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement. He currently serves as the Vice-President of the Greek government, responsible for the coordination of the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense and the new Economic & Social Policy...
- Christos PapoutsisChristos PapoutsisChristos Papoutsis is a Greek socialist politician, serving as the Minister for Citizen Protection as of September 7, 2010. Prior to his current office he has served as Minister of Mercantile Marine and European Commissioner responsible for Energy, EURATOM Supply Agency, SMEs, Tourism and...
- Evangelos Venizelos
- Party Congress, convened every two years
- For the dialogue with the other parties of the left and promote the proposals of PASOK for Democracy and Political System designated responsible Kostas SkandalidisKostas SkandalidisKostas Skandalidis is a Greek Politician and member of the Greek Parliament for the Panhellenic Socialist Movement for the Athens A constituency. Since September 2010 he is the Minister for Rural Development and Food of Greece.-Life:...
.
Ideology
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement began as a democratic socialist party and is a member of the Socialist InternationalSocialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
. During Andreas Papandreou's leadership, wages were substantially boosted and capital gains were progressively taxed. At the very beginning, the members and the leadership of the party, were very critical of NATO and the European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
. This attitude was soon abandoned and the Greek participation in EEC was enforced. Andreas Papandreou kept a close relationship with leaders like Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
and Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
while the latter was still devulging his ideal of an Islamic socialist republic. He wished to create a world where wealth and power would be shared by more countries than just the United States. After Papandreou's death, Kostas Simitis was elected president of PASOK. Simitis represented the centre-left and centrist factions of the Movement and this resulted to his effort to modernize PASOK, making it a purely social democratic party. Tight fiscal policies, privatization of state enterprises and a broadening of the tax base (by shifting the tax burden to the lower quintiles) were implemented. Direct result of these policies, was the electoral defeat of PASOK in 2004. The strictly neoliberal New Democracy
New Democracy (Greece)
New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic...
policies adopted by the new government, forced PASOK to turn left under the promising leadership of George Papandreou
George Papandreou
Georgios A. Papandreou , commonly anglicised to George and shortened to Γιώργος in Greek, is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece following his party's victory in the 2009 legislative election...
. Five years later, after the new electoral triumph of PASOK in 2009, expectations were high. Due to an enormous deficit, in 2010, the Prime Minister and leader of PASOK, adopted neoliberal policies, allegedly under the pressure of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, like further privatization of state enterprises, salary cuts and heavier taxation of working and middle class citizens. Additionally, the country was forced to ask for a loan from the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
and the European Central Bank
European Central Bank
The European Central Bank is the institution of the European Union that administers the monetary policy of the 17 EU Eurozone member states. It is thus one of the world's most important central banks. The bank was established by the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1998, and is headquartered in Frankfurt,...
. These policies, caused major demonstrations against the government with the participation of the more left factions of the party as well. This abandonment of PASOK's original principles and ideas, caused great discomfort to the voters of the party even though it seems that it still retains its popularity against New Democracy and the parties of the Left. This September, during the assembly of the National Council in memory of the foundation of the party, an ideological debate will take place.
Party leaders
NepotismNepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
is common in Greek politics; George Papandreou was preceded by both his father, Andreas, and his grandfather, Georgios Papandreou, as prominent Greek political leaders.
- Andreas PapandreouAndreas PapandreouAndreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic...
(1974–1996) - Costas SimitisCostas SimitisKonstantinos Simitis , usually referred to as Costas Simitis or Kostas Simitis, was Prime Minister of Greece and leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement from 1996 to 2004.- Biography :...
(1996–2004) - George PapandreouGeorge PapandreouGeorgios A. Papandreou , commonly anglicised to George and shortened to Γιώργος in Greek, is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece following his party's victory in the 2009 legislative election...
(2004–present)
Electoral performance in parliamentary elections since 1974
| Year | Party Leader | Number of votes | Percentage of votes | Number of members in the Hellenic Parliament Hellenic Parliament The Hellenic Parliament , also the Parliament of the Hellenes, is the Parliament of Greece, located in the Parliament House , overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece.... |
Position in Parliament |
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| 1974 Greek legislative election, 1974 The first free elections since 1964 and after the end of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974 took place in Greece on November 17, 1974 during the metapolitefsi.... |
Andreas Papandreou Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic... |
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| 1977 Greek legislative election, 1977 In the Greek legislative election, 1977, Prime Minister, Constantine Karamanlis, called for early elections. His party, New Democracy, suffered a significant loss of power, but, nevertheless, Karamanlis managed to secure an absolute majority in the Parliament. The big surprise was the success of... |
Andreas Papandreou Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic... |
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| 1981 Greek legislative election, 1981 The Greek legislative election held on 18 October 1981 marked a new era in the modern history of Greece.Panhellenic Socialist Movement , led by Andreas Papandreou, faced New Democracy, led by Georgios Rallis. Papandreou achieved a landslide and PASOK formed the first socialistic government in the... |
Andreas Papandreou Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic... |
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| 1985 Greek legislative election, 1985 Legislative elections were held in the Hellenic Republic on 2 June, 1985. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek parliament, the Voule.The ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Andreas Papandreou, was re-elected, defeating the conservative New Democracy party of Constantine Mitsotakis .... |
Andreas Papandreou Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic... |
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| 1989-I | Andreas Papandreou Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic... |
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| 1989-II | Andreas Papandreou Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic... |
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| 1990 Greek legislative election, 1990 Legislative elections were held in the Hellenic Republic on 8 April 1990. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek parliament, the Voule.The conservative New Democracy party of Constantine Mitsotakis, was elected, defeating the Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Andreas Papandreou. rowspan=2 colspan=2... |
Andreas Papandreou Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic... |
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| 1993 Greek legislative election, 1993 Legislative elections were held in the Hellenic Republic on October 10, 1993. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek parliament, the Voule.The Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Andreas Papandreou, was elected, defeating the conservative New Democracy party of Constantine Mitsotakis.-Results:... |
Andreas Papandreou Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic... |
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| 1996 Greek legislative election, 1996 Legislative elections were held in the Hellenic Republic on 22 September 1996. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek Parliament.The ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Costas Simitis, was elected, defeating the liberal-conservative New Democracy party of Miltiadis Evert.-Results: rowspan=2... |
Costas Simitis Konstantinos Simitis , usually referred to as Costas Simitis or Kostas Simitis, was Prime Minister of Greece and leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement from 1996 to 2004.- Biography :... |
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| 2000 | Costas Simitis Konstantinos Simitis , usually referred to as Costas Simitis or Kostas Simitis, was Prime Minister of Greece and leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement from 1996 to 2004.- Biography :... |
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| 2004 Greek legislative election, 2004 Legislative elections were held in Greece on March 7, 2004. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek Parliament, the Vouli . The New Democracy Party of Kostas Karamanlis won a decisive victory in the elections, ending eleven years of rule by the Panhellenic Socialist Movement .PASOK was led into the... |
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| 2009 Greek legislative election, 2009 Parliamentary elections were held in Greece on 4 October 2009. An election was not required until September 2011.On 2 September Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis announced he would request President Karolos Papoulias to dissolve Parliament and call an election... |
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See also
- History of GreeceHistory of GreeceThe history of Greece encompasses the history of the territory of the modern state of Greece, as well as that of the Greek people and the areas they ruled historically. The scope of Greek habitation and rule has varied much through the ages, and, as a result, the history of Greece is similarly...
- List of political parties in Greece
- Politics of GreecePolitics of GreeceThe Politics of Greece takes place in a large parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Greece is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Hellenic Parliament...