Left-wing parties criticize Androulakis: “His Palestine move divides the opposition”
Tensions between SYRIZA and PASOK have flared once again—this time over the issue of Palestine and Gaza.
On Monday evening (August 25), PASOK headquarters (Harilaou Trikoupi) announced that party leader Nikos Androulakis would call for a special parliamentary session today (August 26) to update and reaffirm the 2015 unanimous parliamentary decision recognizing the State of Palestine.
SYRIZA’s Reaction
The move was met with sharp criticism from SYRIZA. According to To Pontiki, SYRIZA parliamentary leader Sokratis Famellos had attempted to coordinate with Androulakis during his August 21 visit to Achaia, proposing a joint initiative with other opposition leaders on the Palestine issue. Androulakis, citing his trip, did not respond.
By contrast, Alexis Haritsis (New Left) and Zoi Konstantopoulou (Course of Freedom) responded positively, while the Communist Party (KKE) pointed to a joint four-party declaration signed in May.
SYRIZA accused Androulakis of deliberately avoiding opposition coordination and then acting unilaterally to place himself in the spotlight. Party officials charged him with playing “small political games,” arguing that his stance strengthens Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis by dividing the opposition front.
They also emphasized that the 2015 decision remains valid, insisting the priority should be pressuring the government to implement it rather than seeking a symbolic “update.” Some SYRIZA members further suggested that Androulakis’s move was aimed at undermining the legacy of the SYRIZA government that originally advanced the 2015 initiative.
Criticism from the New Left
The New Left Party echoed the criticism. Party sources accused Androulakis of rejecting opposition coordination and remaining silent on sanctions. They recalled that the May 2025 joint declaration by SYRIZA, KKE, Course of Freedom, and New Left explicitly addressed sanctions against Israel.
According to New Left officials, the key issue is not the “updating” of the 2015 decision but whether the conservative government will take concrete steps: formally recognizing Palestine and voting at the UN in favor of sanctions against Israel.
They also noted that PASOK had refused to join the May declaration, and now, with its change of stance, the party owes an explanation for its inconsistency.
