Deadlock
…It is not the New Democracy opposition that is the prime minister’s principal enemy. Rather, it is the weariness and the growing disillusionment, if not political repugnance, felt by the public. This is why Costas Simitis’s systematic attacks against the conservative opposition and ND leader Costas Karamanlis personally have actually fallen through, in the sense that they have failed to generate the anticipated polarization. It should be remembered that late last year, PASOK openly stated that ND’s lead in opinion polls would have be wiped out by June. Opinion polls now show ND enjoying an 8-percent lead. For this reason, PASOK’s chances of reversing the climate are minimal. The widespread impression that the Socialist party is on the threshold of an electoral debacle has mobilized its instinct for self-preservation. It’s no coincidence that intraparty fermentation in anticipation of the day after has intensified. The prime minister is far from being in control of the game, as he portrayed himself in the autumn. In the wake of local and prefectural elections, PASOK will be faced with an internal scramble that will destabilize Simitis’s position. Simitis is seeking salvation in a populist style of management that is bound to do him more harm than good.
