ATHENS – With Greece’s political landscape fracturing, embattled PASOK-KINAL Movement for Change center-left leader Nikos Androulakis’ inability to bring the party back to popularity has brought four rivals for October elections.

He set Oct. 6 and, if necessary for a run-off, Oct. 13 as the dates to decide whether he will stay at the helm that he took in December, 2021 after the death of former leader Fofi Gennimata, but has been unable to resurrect the struggling leftists.

A disappointing third place showing in June elections for European Parliament has brought a barrage of criticism, openly, about his leadership and his warning he would eject dissidents who didn’t follow the party line.

Initially, he had two challengers – new Athens Mayor Haris Doukas – who surprisingly ousted incumbent Kostas Bakoyiannis from New Democracy, and Member of Parliament Pavlos Geroulanos, a former Culture Minister.

Then two more PASOK lawmakers, Milena Apostolaki and Michalis Katrinis threw their hats in the ring in what became an all-out campaign against Androulakis, whose party has only 31 seats in the 300-member Parliament, without a real voice.

“I am putting all my efforts as a candidate for the leadership,” Apostolaki said. “The country needs political change. PASOK can become its agent of progress again, and this must be our goal. This will be my goal, as I pointed out at the Central Committee meeting, and I will fight for it,” she added.

Katrinis said his goal is for PASOK “to respond to the mature request of progressive citizens for an alternative proposal for government. A proposal that can inspire, compose and conquer,” the campaign begun, three months before the election.

Doukas, 44, said even if he wins that he won’t give up his mayoral seat, which would lead to a dyarchy of two party leaders, and that he has a plan for the country and to raise the lagging party’s fortunes after PASK had once been a dominant force.

He is a Professor of Energy Policy and Management and emerged as the unlikely winner of Athens’ mayoralty but is drawing some fire within the party for his ambitions to take it over so soon after taking office.

In the 2023 national elections, Geroulanos beat a party veteran, Costas Skandalis, to earn the only seat that PASOK won in a difficult battlefield and is seen as the dark horse candidate in this race.