Former Greek prime minister George Papandreou on Sunday lost the race to become the new leader of the nation’s socialists to MEP Nikos Androulakis (photo) as the party tries to rebuild popularity.
Androulakis beat Papandreou, 69, in the second and final round of the race by 68 percent to 32 percent.
Androulakis, 42, deputy of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, vowed to capture the legacy of the once-powerful PASOK movement established by three-time premier Andreas Papandreou, father of his rival.
“We are opening a new page in the history of Pasok with optimism and confidence,” he said before adding that the heavy turnout in the party elections was a reminder of how deep is the root of PASOK in Greek society.
