PASOK facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Panhellenic Socialist Movement
Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Abbreviation | PASOK, ΠΑΣΟΚ |
| President | Nikos Androulakis |
| Founder | Andreas Papandreou |
| Founded | 3 September 1974 |
| Preceded by |
|
| Headquarters | Chariláou Trikoúpi 50, 106 80 Athens |
| Student wing | Panhellenic Combative Student Faction (ΠΑΣΠ) (universities' organization) Panhellenic Combative Student Movement (ΠΑΜΚ) (school organization; dormant) |
| Youth wing | PASOK Youth |
| Trade union wing | Panhellenic Trade Union Movement of Workers (ΠΑΣΚΕ) |
| Membership (2022) | 189,000 |
| Ideology |
|
| Political position | Centre-left |
| National affiliation |
|
| European affiliation | Party of European Socialists |
| International affiliation |
|
| European Parliament group | Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats |
| Colours |
|
| Slogan | "Society in the foreground" |
| Anthem | O ílios o prásinos (The Green Sun) |
| Parliament |
30 / 300
|
| European Parliament |
3 / 21
|
| Party flag | |
.png) |
|
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement, often called PASOK, is a social-democratic political party in Greece. For many years, until 2012, it was one of the two main political parties in the country. Its main rival was New Democracy. In the June 2023 Greek legislative election, PASOK became one of the "big three" political parties in Greece again.
PASOK was started on September 3, 1974, after the military dictatorship in Greece ended. It began as a socialist party.
PASOK was the biggest left-wing party in Greece from 1977 to 2012. However, it lost a lot of support because of the Greek debt crisis. PASOK was in power when the economic crisis started. It had to agree to tough measures to get financial help, which made the party less popular.
From 2011 to 2015, PASOK was part of two coalition governments. During this time, more tough measures were taken to deal with the crisis. Because of these challenges, PASOK went from having 160 seats in the Hellenic Parliament in 2009 to only 13 seats in 2015. This big drop in popularity is sometimes called Pasokification.
To try and stop this decline, Fofi Gennimata became the new leader. She formed a political group called the Democratic Alignment (DISY). In 2018, PASOK joined a new group of centre-left parties called the Movement for Change (KINAL). This group became the third largest in the parliament in the 2019 Greek legislative election.
Contents
Party History
How PASOK Started
PASOK was founded on September 3, 1974, by Andreas Papandreou. He was the son of a former Greek Prime Minister, Georgios Papandreou Sr. The party's main goals were "National Independence, Popular Sovereignty, Social Emancipation, Democratic Process." Andreas Papandreou was a very good speaker and a strong leader. He wanted PASOK to be a socialist party.
Early Years and Growth
In the November 1974 elections, PASOK got 13.5% of the votes and won 15 seats. It came in third place. However, in the November 1977 elections, PASOK grew a lot. It won 93 seats and became the main opposition party in Greece.
PASOK in Government
In October 1981, PASOK won a huge victory with 48.1% of the votes, getting 172 seats. This meant they formed the first socialist government in Greece since 1924. Even though Andreas Papandreou had talked about leaving NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC), he changed his mind. He became very good at getting benefits for Greece from the EEC.
In 1986, the PASOK government changed the Greek constitution. They gave more power to the Prime Minister and the government. They also made civil marriages legal, just like religious weddings. The government also recognized the resistance movement against the Axis powers in World War II. Former resistance fighters received state pensions. Many laws from the anti-communist past were removed. Wages were increased, and a national health system was created.
In the June 1985 elections, PASOK won again with 46% of the votes, securing 161 seats. This gave them a strong majority for their second term.
By late 1988, the government's popularity started to drop. This was due to reports of financial issues and some tough economic decisions. PASOK lost the June 1989 elections. After a few more elections and short-term governments, New Democracy came back to power in April 1990. PASOK's number of seats in Parliament went down to 121 in 1990.
In October 1993, Andreas Papandreou led the party to another big victory. He became Prime Minister again with 47% of the votes. However, in November 1995, Papandreou's health got worse. He passed away six months later.
A Time of Change
.jpg)
In January 1996, Costas Simitis took over as leader of PASOK. He was known for being more pro-European. In September 1996, Simitis won the general election with 41.5% of the votes. Under his leadership, PASOK had two big successes: Greece won the right to host the 2004 Summer Olympics in 1997, and in 2001, Greece joined the Eurozone. Costas Simitis won another term in April 2000.
In 2000, after a British officer was killed by a terrorist group called 17 November, there was a lot of international pressure on Greece. The government worked with experts from other countries. Finally, in 2002, members of the 17 November group were caught and put on trial.
Under George Papandreou's Leadership
The party started to lose its appeal to everyday Greek people. To try and improve the party's chances, Costas Simitis stepped down as leader in January 2004. George Papandreou, Andreas Papandreou's son, became the new leader. People hoped he could make the party more popular again.
However, New Democracy won the 2004 elections in March. PASOK went into opposition after being in power for eleven years. They got 40.55% of the votes and 117 seats.
In September 2007, New Democracy won again. PASOK had a tough defeat, getting only 38.1% of the votes and 102 seats. This was their lowest percentage in almost 30 years. This led to a new election for the party's leader. George Papandreou was re-elected as leader in November 2007.
In June 2009, PASOK won the European Parliament election. Four months later, in October 2009, the party won a big victory in the general elections. They got 43.92% of the votes and 160 parliament seats.
Decline of Support (2009–2015)
By October 2011, many people were unhappy with the government because of the tough economic measures. A survey showed that 92% of people were disappointed with the government. PASOK was seen negatively by 76% of those asked.
Because of the financial crisis and the measures taken, PASOK's support dropped a lot in the May 2012 elections. They came in third place with only 13.18% of the votes, getting just 41 seats.
After these elections, no party could form a government easily. In the June 2012 elections, PASOK's support dropped even more to 12.28%. However, PASOK decided to join a coalition government with New Democracy and the Democratic Left.
For the 2014 European election, PASOK formed a group called the Olive Tree. This group came in fourth place, getting 8.02% of the votes and electing 2 members to the European Parliament.
In December 2014, new elections were called for January 2015.
2015 Elections and Alliances
In January 2015, former Prime Minister and PASOK leader George Papandreou started a new party. This was not supported by PASOK officials.
In the January 25, 2015, election, PASOK received 4.7% of the votes, getting 13 seats in the Hellenic Parliament.
In August 2015, PASOK announced an alliance with another party, called the Democratic Alignment (DISY). In the September 2015 election, this alliance received 6.3% of the votes and 17 seats.
Under KINAL (2017–2021)
In November 2017, elections were held to choose the leader of a new centre-left party that PASOK would join. Fofi Gennimata, the PASOK leader, won the election. On November 28, 2017, the new party was named "Movement for Change" (KINAL).
KINAL increased its seats in the 2019 Greek legislative election, becoming Greece's third-largest political group. They secured 22 seats in the Hellenic Parliament. After the election, KINAL became an opposition party.
Fofi Gennimata passed away in October 2021. New elections for the leader took place in December 2021. Nikos Androulakis was elected as the new leader of both KINAL and PASOK.
PASOK Returns
On May 9, 2022, the alliance was renamed "PASOK – Movement for Change" (PASOK–KINAL). It became a single political party, bringing back the original PASOK. The old PASOK symbol, the green sun, was also brought back.
In the May 2023 election, PASOK–KINAL increased its votes and seats in the Hellenic Parliament from 22 to 41. This increase, along with a drop in support for another party, has given members hope that PASOK will become the largest opposition party again.
International Connections
PASOK is part of several international political groups. It is a member of the Socialist International, the Progressive Alliance, and the Party of European Socialists. PASOK members who are in the European Parliament sit with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group.
The term Pasokification is used to describe how centre-left parties in Europe have declined and shifted politically.
Election Results
Hellenic Parliament
| Election | Hellenic Parliament | Rank | Government | Leader | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | ±pp | Seats won | +/− | ||||
| 1974 | 666,413 | 13.58% | New |
12 / 300
|
 12 |
3rd | Opposition | Andreas Papandreou |
| 1977 | 1,300,025 | 25.34% | +11.76 |
93 / 300
|
81 |
2nd | Opposition | |
| 1981 | 2,726,309 | 48.07% | +22.73 |
172 / 300
|
79 |
1st | Government | |
| 1985 | 2,916,735 | 45.82% | −2.25 |
161 / 300
|
 11 |
1st | Government | |
| Jun 1989 | 2,551,518 | 39.13% | −6.69 |
125 / 300
|
36 |
2nd | Opposition | |
| Nov 1989 | 2,724,334 | 40.67% | +1.54 |
128 / 300
|
3 |
2nd | Government | |
| 1990 | 2,543,042 | 38.61% | −2.06 |
123 / 300
|
5 |
2nd | Opposition | |
| 1993 | 3,235,017 | 46.88% | +8.27 |
170 / 300
|
47 |
1st | Government | |
| 1996 | 2,814,779 | 41.49% | −5.39 |
162 / 300
|
8 |
1st | Government | Costas Simitis |
| 2000 | 3,007,596 | 43.79% | +2.40 |
158 / 300
|
3 |
1st | Government | |
| 2004 | 3,003,988 | 40.55% | −3.34 |
117 / 300
|
41 |
2nd | Opposition | George Papandreou |
| 2007 | 2,727,279 | 38.10% | −2.45 |
102 / 300
|
15 |
2nd | Opposition | |
| 2009 | 3,012,373 | 43.92% | +5.82 |
160 / 300
|
58 |
1st | Government | |
| May 2012 | 833,452 | 13.18% | −30.74 |
41 / 300
|
119 |
3rd | Snap election | Evangelos Venizelos |
| Jun 2012 | 756,024 | 12.28% | −0.80 |
33 / 300
|
8 |
3rd | Coalition | |
| Jan 2015 | 289,469 | 4.68% | −7.60 |
13 / 300
|
20 |
7th | Opposition | |
| Sep 2015 | 341,390 (DISY) |
6.29% (DISY) |
+1.13 |
16 / 300
|
3 |
4th | Opposition | Fofi Gennimata |
| 2019 | 457,519 (KINAL) |
8.10% (KINAL) |
+1.81 |
19 / 300
|
3 |
3rd | Opposition | |
| May 2023 | 676,165 (PASOK–KINAL) |
11.46% (PASOK–KINAL) |
+3.36 |
40 / 300
|
21 |
3rd | Snap election | Nikos Androulakis |
| Jun 2023 | 617,574 (PASOK–KINAL) |
11.84% (PASOK–KINAL) |
+0.38 |
31 / 300
|
9 |
3rd | Opposition | |
European Parliament
| European Parliament | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | Votes | % | ±pp | Seats won | +/− | Rank | Leader |
| 1981 | 2,278,030 | 40.1% | New |
10 / 24
|
10 |
1st | Andreas Papandreou |
| 1984 | 2,476,491 | 41.6% | +1.5 |
10 / 24
|
 0 |
1st | |
| 1989 | 2,352,271 | 35.9% | −5.7 |
9 / 24
|
1 |
2nd | |
| 1994 | 2,458,619 | 37.6% | +1.7 |
10 / 25
|
1 |
1st | |
| 1999 | 2,115,844 | 32.9% | −4.7 |
9 / 25
|
1 |
2nd | Costas Simitis |
| 2004 | 2,083,327 | 34.0% | +1.1 |
8 / 24
|
1 |
2nd | George Papandreou |
| 2009 | 1,878,859 | 36.6% | +2.6 |
8 / 22
|
0 |
1st | |
| 2014 | 458,403 (Elia) |
8.0% (Elia) |
−28.6 |
2 / 21
|
6 |
4th | Evangelos Venizelos |
| 2019 | 436,726 (KINAL) |
7.7% (KINAL) |
−0.3 |
2 / 21
|
0 |
3rd | Fofi Gennimata |
Party Leaders
| # | Leader | Portrait | Term of office | Prime Minister | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andreas Papandreou |  |
3 September 1974 | 23 June 1996† | 1981–1989 1993–1996 |
|
| 2 | Costas Simitis |  |
30 June 1996 | 8 February 2004 | 1996–2004 | |
| 3 | George Papandreou |  |
8 February 2004 | 18 March 2012 | 2009–2011 | |
| 4 | Evangelos Venizelos | .jpg) |
18 March 2012 | 14 June 2015 | — | |
| 5 | Fofi Gennimata | .jpg) |
14 June 2015 | 25 October 2021† | — | |
| 6 | Nikos Androulakis |  |
12 December 2021 | Incumbent | — | |
Images for kids
-
1981–2012
-
2012–2017
-
2022–present
See also
In Spanish: Movimiento Socialista Panhelénico para niños- PASOKification
- History of Greece
- List of political parties in Greece
- Politics of Greece
- Party of European Socialists
- Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
- Socialist International
