Greek elections: Is a “window” opening for a government of the defeated? – What do SYRIZA cadres Dragasakis – Tsakalotos say

The leadership of SYRIZA is engaged in  on and off rhetoric, regarding the possibility of forming a coalition government of the defeated (as Alexis Tsipras has characterized it), .

While party president of the party, as the date of the elections approaches, calls for a clear victory and repeats that he will not seek to form a government if SYRIZA emerges as the second party in the May 21 elections, prominent officials of Koumundourou have a different opinion.

Which means that they either move on a different trajectory or keep the window open for the eventual formation of a coalition government of the defeated.

Euclid Tsakalotos and Yiannis Dragasakis, in their interviews, did not rule out the possibility of forming a “government of the defeated”, in case their party wind up in second place in the May 21 election.

“If you garner 47, 48, 49%, what does a government of the defeated mean?”

Indicative is the position of the former Minister of Finance, Euclid Tsakalotou, on public broadcaster ERT, who, noting that “great changes can only be made by collaborative governments”, left open the possibility of such a coalition government with PASOK and MeRA25, even if SYRIZA emerges as the second party in the elections.

“I think we can pursue it. It will depend on how close we are,” he said, and responding to the remark that the president of SYRIZA, Alexis Tsipras, had said that he did not want a government of the defeated, he characteristically said: “If you have cumulative percentages (of the three parties) of 47, 48, 49%, what does a government of the defeated mean? At this point New Democracy does not mind ruling with 38% after a second election. And we are talking about a government that will represent 48-49%, you don’t call that a government of losers…”.

Dragasakis: We will not remain idle

The former Deputy Prime Minister of the SYRIZA government, Yannis Dragasakis moved along the same wavelength, arguing that in the event that Alexis Tsipras and SYRIZA receive the exploratory mandate from the President of the Republic, they will look for the possibility of creating a government, if percentages allow it.

“Within SYRIZA, we say that we will actively manage our constitutional rights, based on the result that will emerge. In other words, we mean that the president of SYRIZA-PS will receive the exploratory mandate from the President of the Republic, and will investigate the case of forming a government. We will not remain inactive in all eventualities,” said Yiannis Dragasakis speaking to Attica channel.

He even clarified that SYRIZA will take the mandate and try to form a government, even if it is a second party.

“If I can express the spirit of SYRIZA and the president, for us the elections are crucial, we wish to avoid a series of elections, so we will do everything we can in this direction” explained Mr. Dragasakis.

Also answering about whether there could be another prime minister in a cooperation government, instead of Alexis Tsipras, Mr. Dragasakis was categorical: “If we are talking about a normal government and not a special purpose government, there is no way for another prime minister to enter than the head of the party”.

Tsipras wants a clear victory

However, yesterday, from Drama, where he was touring, Alexis Tsipras asked the audience for a clear victory in the upcoming election, saying that “if SYRIZA is first and even by a margin, the next day we will form a government of progressive cooperation that will move the country forward and we will not get into the adventures of repeat elections that Mr. Mitsotakis wants”.

In the same direction, “for Mr. Mitsotakis and his regime to lose, SYRIZA must win, it’s simple. Not only political logic says so, Mathematics also says so. “Mitsotakis SA” will leave the Maximos Mansion [i.e. PM’s office] only if he loses the elections. And the New Democracy will lose the elections, only if SYRIZA wins the elections” described Mr. Tsipras citing the absolute numbers, to add that “the majority will not only be in the Parliament, but also among the voters. We can achieve it, with SYRIZA coming first in the elections”.