EDEK’s pool of young talent is enormous and out of proportion to its electoral performance
There is still hope. It is a sad realization, but it is a reality: EDEK is in intensive care—in fact, on life support—and is fighting for its survival. The result of the parliamentary elections was expected by those who had been following Vassos Lyssarides’ socialist party and the disastrous course it was on. For the first time, the country’s second-most historic party has been left out of parliament, having lost its political and ideological bearings over the course of a decade marked by arbitrariness, lack of transparency,and the use of anti-democratic methods, it had lost its political and ideological bearings and fallen into a state of utter disrepute. When the expulsion and ousting of party officials—because they were a threat to the “leadership” (which lacked democratic legitimacy but clung to power by any means necessary)—became the norm—resulting in the effective depletion of the party’s strongest cadre of leaders—when toxicity and name-calling replaced democratic dialogue,when policy proposals were replaced by ploys and scheming—the result was entirely predictable.
The situation is difficult, and there are those responsible and those to blame who, unfortunately, either turn a blind eye or desperately try to cling to their positions in the party leadership without a traceof sensitivity or dignity, while none of those responsible for or complicit in this disaster has apologized or, as they should have, submitted their resignation. The question today is this: Is there hope? Is there salvation? The answer is not simple, but there is a faint glimmer of hope under certain strict conditions:
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
1. If the decisions of the recent conference are followed to the letter—something that, unfortunately, some are trying to undermine.I do not wish to go into detail about these decisions, which concern the integrity of the party’s membership rolls as well as the free, unimpeded, and, above all, democratic expression of the EDEK membership.
2. Even now, those known to be at fault for leading to this situation must take responsibility and voluntarily step down from all leadership positions within the party. Without a clean slate, there is no future
3. To clear the air and put an end to the whispers and grumbling, a detailed, decade-long financial audit of the party’s activities is essential.The information circulating is rife with claims of all sorts of wonders. Under these conditions, the party’s reorganization could be achieved by making political and ideological redefinition its top priorities, clearly communicating to society what EDEK stands for and what it aims to achieve, harnessing the party’s new potential,including its youth wing as well as the dozens of currently inactive members—who are capable of contributing but have distanced themselves because they were expelled or became disillusioned with the party’s internal dynamics.EDEK’s wealth of young talent is enormous and disproportionate to its electoral results.They simply fought against it, neglected it, and failed to harness it—all to ensure their own political survival rather than that of the party. Society will take notice of EDEK when it returns to its roots, so that it can successfully represent the broader segment of the center-left,with modern and realistic proposals for the problems that concern it—housing, energy poverty, and the high cost of living— the fight against corruption and collusion, and by actively confronting the various vested interests that plague our country. The period until the end of the year is critical for EDEK, and by, by relying on democratic processes and transparency, it will have a chance to recover and emerge from intensive care.
