PASOK
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement, known mostly by its acronym PASOK, is a social-democratic political party in Greece. Until 2012 it was one of the two major parties in the country, along with New Democracy, its main political rival. After a decade of poor electoral outcomes, PASOK has retained its position as one of the main Greek political parties and is currently the second largest party in the Greek Parliament.
Following the collapse of the Greek military dictatorship of 1967–1974, PASOK was founded on 3 September 1974 as a socialist party.
Formerly the largest left-of-center party in Greece between 1977 and 2012, it was the dominant political party of the country from 1981 to 2004, under party founder Andreas Papandreou and Costas Simitis. Last elected to power in 2009, PASOK lost much of its popular support as a result of the Greek debt crisis. PASOK was the ruling party when the economic crisis began, and it negotiated the first Greek bailout package with the European troika, which necessitated harsh austerity measures. This caused a significant loss in the party's popularity. It was part of two coalition governments from 2011 to 2015, during which further austerity measures were taken in response to the crisis. Due to these measures and the crisis, PASOK went from being the largest party in the Hellenic Parliament with 160 seats in the 2009 election to being the smallest party with 13 seats in the January 2015 election. This decline became known as Pasokification.
To halt the party's decline, Fofi Gennimata was elected as the new president of the party and formed a political alliance known as the Democratic Alignment. In the September 2015 election, DISY was the fourth most voted-for party. In 2018, PASOK merged into a new political alliance of centre-left parties, again led by Gennimata, called the Movement for Change, becoming the third largest party in the parliament in the 2019 election. After the death of Gennimata and the election of the new Party President Nikos Androulakis, PASOK improved its electoral outcome, achieving a 11.84% share of the popular vote in the June 2023 election. In October 2024, Androulakis was re-elected as president of PASOK.
Originally a broadly statist and Eurosceptic party of the newly demarginalised Greek left-wing, PASOK's politics have changed significantly. In the years following its ascension to power in the 1981 elections, it pursued a transformative social agenda of economic and social liberalisation in regards to labour rights, the political and social rift following the Greek Civil War, education, and individual rights. Under Papandreou, it began shifting towards pro-European Union and moderate policies, a shift that accelerated after Simitis succeeded the ailing Papandreou in 1996 and resulted in Greece completing the adoption of the euro as its currency in 2002. PASOK was often accused of populism and contributing to political polarisation, and especially after its rapid downfall, was associated with economic mismanagement, clientelism, and corruption. Many of its members and crossed the floor to other parties and coalitions, mainly New Democracy and Syriza, prior to its return as the leading opposition party.
History
Foundation
The first members of the party were the main organizers of the collapse of the Greek junta and the re-establishment of democracy on 3 September 1974. Its founder was Andreas Papandreou, son of the late Greek liberal leader and three-time Prime Minister of Greece Georgios Papandreou Sr, and its co-founder trade unionist Georgios Daskalakis. Its founding mottos were "National Independence, Popular Sovereignty, Social Emancipation, Democratic Process." Andreas Papandreou was offered the leadership of the liberal political forces - what evolved into Centre Union – New Forces - immediately after the restoration of democracy, but in a risky move he declined, so the leadership was assumed by Georgios Mavros. Papandreou, a powerful orator and charismatic leader, explicitly rejected the Venizelist ideological heritage of his father, and stressed the fact that he was a socialist, not a liberal.Early years
At the November 1974 elections the Party received only 13.5% of the vote and won 15 seats, coming third behind the centre-right New Democracy of Konstantinos Karamanlis and the Centre Union – New Forces of Giorgos Mavros. That year, Sylva Akrita became the first woman elected to the Hellenic Parliament from the PASOK party in history.In the November 1977 elections, however, PASOK eclipsed the EK-ND, winning 93 seats by doubling its share of the vote and becoming the main opposition party in Greece at the time.
In government
In the October 1981 national elections PASOK won a landslide victory with 48.1% of the vote, capturing 172 seats; it forming the first socialist government in Greece since 1924. Although Papandreou had campaigned for withdrawal of Greece from NATO and the European Economic Community, after a strong request by the rest of the party members and its supporters, changed his policies towards both organizations. 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 to the ECC to secure more monetary aid for Greece. In the June 1985 elections, PASOK received 46% of the vote, winning 161 seats, thus securing a stable parliamentary majority for its second term in power.It continued to be popular for much of its second term, especially in March 1987 when Andreas Papandreou 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, because of the press’ reports of financial and corruption scandals that, implicated Ministers and, allegedly, Andreas Papandreou himself as well as because of fiscal austerity measures imposed after the Keynesian policies of the first term. Under Papandreou, total government expenditure rose in 1982 by 6.8%, by 1.4% in 1983, by 5.5% in 1984, and by 11.0% in 1985. As a result of austerity measures introduced in October 1985, however, total government expenditure fell by 4.6% in 1986, and by 1.9% in 1987. The middle of 1987, however, saw Costas Simitis being dismissed and the austerity policies abandoned, with expansionary economic policies pursued once again.
Despite this u-turn, PASOK lost the June 1989 elections with 40% of the vote while the opposing New Democracy received 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.
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 Hellenic 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 having a small overall lead, in the elections of 1985, under the previous electoral system. Its representation in the Parliament shrunk to 121 MPs in 1990.
In opposition, PASOK underwent a leadership crisis when Andreas Papandreou was prosecuted over his supposed involvement in the Koskotas scandal. He was eventually acquitted and, in a dramatic twist of fate, in the October 1993 elections led the party to another landslide victory. Papandreou returned to office with 47% of the vote and 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 the party was racked with leadership conflicts.
During his time in office, Papandreou presided over a wide range of social reforms. His governments carried through sweeping reforms of social policy by introducing a welfare state, significantly expanding welfare measures, expanding health care coverage promoting state-subsidized tourism for lower-income families, and index-linking pensions.
A number of other reforms were carried out in areas such as trade union rights, shop closing and reopening times, social security, education, health and safety, and work councils. A more progressive taxation scheme was introduced and budgetary support for artistic and cultural programmes was increased. Social aid became available to deaf and dumb adults as well as for persons with mental disabilities, minimum pensions were indexed to the minimum wage, a social assistance pension for those aged 68 and over was introduced, and "All uninsured employed and self-employed individuals are covered by IKA." Social security benefits were also adjusted to price increases, while social assistance disability benefits were extended to new categories. Special family allowances were established for certain groups. Wages and pensions became automatically adjusted in line with the consumer price index every 4 months on the basis of economic forecasts. In addition, all women with unmarried children under 21 could retire at 55, early retirement was extended to more occupations, and low-income households received housing allowances. New rights to parental leave were also enshrined in law, while a 1985 law provided for a postpartum allowance for OGA-insured workers. In addition, tax relief was introduced for certain groups of mothers, such as working unwed mothers. The role of OAED in vocational guidance and training was strengthened, while subsidies for returning Greek migrants were introduced. Saturday working was also abolished for certain categories of workers. Various improvements in the coverage and adequacy of various kinds of pensions were also carried out, and a law was passed that established a scheme providing farmers with supplementary coverage. During PASOK’s first 4 years in office, expenditure on pensions and social welfare increased by almost 50.%
Various reforms were carried out in education, such as the abolition of entry examinations for upper secondary education, a 3-year long post-secondary tier of vocational training, the introduction of teacher training colleges, the building of new universities, the introduction of the notion of ‘special needs,’ the modernization of university curricula, and the introduction of new procedures for selecting and promoting faculty which involved greater participation by students. Higher education was also made available on equal terms to all Greek citizens. New rights for women were also introduced, amongst which included the abolition of the dowry system, the legalization of civil marriage, the decriminalization of adultery for women, and the granting to female farmers their own pension together with the ability to receive loans from the Agricultural Bank. In addition, a New Family Code was established, which declared that wives and husbands were equal partners in their marriages. A law was also passed enabling women to acquire experience in cooperatives. In addition, agricultural policies of subsidization, cooperatives and price supports were also carried out that improved the overall positions of farmers.
A law of 1984 extended the protection accorded “to victims of acts of racial discrimination to include the area of religion,” while under another law passed that same year the automatic loss of nationality for married women was brought to an end. In 1986, the PASOK government amended the Greek constitution to remove most powers from the President and giving wider authority to the Prime Minister and the Executive Government. However, the dubious methods by Papandreou triggered a constitutional crisis that ended after the elections of 1985. Civil marriages, 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 finally formally recognized, and former leftist resistance fighters were given state pensions, while leftist political refugees of the Greek Civil War were finally given permission to return to Greece. Various repressive laws of the anti-communist postwar establishment were abolished, wages were boosted, an independent and multidimensional foreign policy was pursued, and the Greek Gendarmerie military police force abolished in 1984.
Further social measures were carried out during Papandreou’s last premiership. In 1993, tax incentives for families were extended. Under Law 2362/95, the tax exemption where a property is transferred to children or inherited by them was increased, while a 1994 law provided consumer associations with the right “to bring class actions against producers accused of use of unfair terms or provision of inadequate services to consumers.” Increases in minimum pensions and family benefits were also carried out, together with measures to improve the implementation of ALMPs. In 1994, a provision under which employers could automatically dismiss workers involved in illegal strikes was eliminated. That same year, a new fund to combat unemployment was set up.
Law no. 2224 introduced a number of changes concerning social security and worker’s rights. Modifications were introduced by decree to the legislation on trade unions and on employee health and safety which was said to enable Greek society “to form a clear and complete picture of the prevailing legislation, improving relations between workers and employers and facilitating supervision of the legislation in question by the responsible public authorities.” The law regulated problems in the field of the building of workers' housing and also included a procedure by which “shop opening hours can be regulated and includes provisions for electoral proceedings for: the union representation of mariners and a special pay system for waiters and waitresses.” The law also ratified collective labour agreements providing for an extension of the overall duration of maternity leave to 18 weeks.
Law no. 2224 also provided for “equal treatment between Greek nationals and nationals of other Contracting parties lawfully resident or regularly working in Greece in respect of access to vocational training organized by the OAED” together with “equal treatment regarding all types of training allowances.” The same law also increased unemployment benefits by 30%, and set the minimum level of unemployment benefits at 66.6%. Despite this, the unemployment benefit’s minimum, basic amount represented less than 50% of the minimum daily wage of an unskilled worker by the end of 2001. The law also received criticism from unions due to the legislation also mandating skeleton staffs during strikes disrupting social needs; the criticism being that the law’s provisions on “social needs” were vague.
According to one estimate, the percentage of the population living poverty fell steadily during PASOK's time in office from 1981 to 1989 and from 1993 to 1996.