The problem with those today who want to transform the center-left into a united front against right-wing dominance is that they seem convinced of the need for it, but the practical part, the implementation part, remains very vague. In short, the opposition parties that started this conversation (PASOK and SYRIZA) are more concerned with their own microcosm than creating a substantial proposal for cooperation.
What does “below” mean?
For example, the opinion that this process should start from the bottom and go up does not say anything by itself. How exactly will this be done?
With internal referendums, where will party members be asked to make a decision? Such a development will not benefit the party leadership. We have already seen it in SYRIZA-PS where the sentence rejected Party Central Committee.
Was a similar question raised in PASOK? The need – yes, the proposal for some kind of referendum – no. While we are hearing general messages about the need to form a body that will be able to express the public majority that sent their messages in the elections to the European Parliament.
Those who talk about them forget that both they and the formations they serve are part of this rejection, some to a lesser extent, some to a greater extent. The logical leap is that they don’t answer the question of how much they will be trusted by people who haven’t done so yet – that famous “social opposition” or “social majority” that is starting to look like the holy grail that everyone is looking for, but no one does not find. And not find, because it has been proven that the parties have lost touch with the society itself.
Sum
Even if in the next elections some kind of cooperation (for example, joint voting) will be called, in fact, the sum of political forces and in no way guarantees the success of the project, as has been proven in other cases.
Let’s look at the example of France. What the New People’s Front managed the far right is winning in the second round of elections is connected exclusively with the electoral system of the country, and not with a simple vote count, in which the far-right Marine Le Pen became the first. Therefore, the excessive celebrations of the supporters of the convergence should be limited to the real dimensions of the phenomenon and completed once the government is formed in France.
Apparently, no one is discussing the possibility of disbanding PASOK or SYRIZA and creating a new organization from their ashes. Any cooperation that may occur assumes their autonomy as a necessary condition. After that is the point. First of all, how attractive this partnership will be to citizens and convincing in terms of its program and intentions. In other words, it is not enough to say “I want to cooperate”, we need to delineate specific positions-proposals, which will really be an intersection of the needs of society, and not a census of the previous ones. Also, the opinion “we will go to discuss in the neighborhoods” which is expressed by many people – most recently Mr. Dukas, who will be a candidate for the president of PASOK, does not mean anything by itself.
Direct democracy
In any case, we must remind all parties that the bottom-up narrative primarily refers to processes of direct democracy. Suffice it to say two things in this regard: 1. Direct democratic procedures do not have much success in systems like ours, and 2. where direct democracy is used, central power is severely limited, regardless of whether it is a party or a government.
If we return to today’s reality, then such a discussion did not take place and it is not expected that it will take place immediately, since both PASOK and SYRIZA-PS are still lost in their own microcosm. However, even if with the wave of a magic wand there is an opportunity to immediately start a conversation, the main thing is how exactly it will reach the world.
In this regard, there is a standard phrase: “we will cooperate in self-government, in unions, in wards.” This is a political view that prevailed 20 or more years ago, and the road will not be long with such ideas. Maximum until the next vote.