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Today, at the Benaki Museum, former prime-minister Georgios Papandreou will announce the creation of a new party dubbed "Movement for Change". Its inaugural declaration and symbols will also be presented. The party will be joined by Filippos Savidis, Georgios Petalotis and Georgios Elenopoulos.

The 200 signatures, needed to create a party, will be submitted to the Supreme Court. From today, all constitutive documents of the Movement will be available for discussion, and the signatures will be collected at the party’s offices. Its headquarters will be on Piraeus St. the party’s website will be ready in the coming days.

The former prime minister is taking this plunge, despite calls from both PASOK veterans, and younger activists as well, not to split the socialists at a time as crucial for the country as the current one.

For his part, PASOK’s President Evangelos Venizelos qualified Papandreou’s launching of a new party as a sad event. He stressed that no one must split PASOK, and that "there are people who have certain obligations – for the sake of history, for the sake of their place in society or because of the name they carry." Asked whether Papandreou would be a factor at the elections, Venizelos remarked this was not going to happen, and the only factor would be the people. Asked why his reaction was so moderate, Venizelos replied that he made an effort to be patient because he felt the burden of national responsibility.

"PASOK is saddened, but it is also full of resolution," he said, adding that former prime ministers and party leaders should behave in a certain manner, e.g. the way Costas Simitis and Kostas Karamanlis have behaved.

Venizelos added that all Papandreou’s proposals were taken into account and dealt with seriously; he also reiterated that the former prime minister and PASOK leader belongs to the party lists.

Venizelos also spoke about the historical responsibility before the name of Andreas Papandreou. "PASOK is hurt as they are trying to split it up, but it will overcome this," he said.

Regarding the co-opting of PASOK activists by Papandreou's new Movement for Change, Venizelos argued there were just a few of them. Papandreou was supported by a small group, which had always been his close circle.

Venizelos maintained that PASOK’s role in the upcoming elections was to act as a stabilizer, and no one could prevent this.

"The main issue of the elections is not Papandreou, but what kind of government will be composed," said Venizelos. He added that the parties were forced to coalesce and that there would be no second chance. "We are faced with a serious predicament and stand no chance for another round of elections. This would have been disastrous."

Venizelos emphasized that he would personally be the guarantor of cooperation, adding that PASOK had shown its ablility to deal with the crisis and remained stable for five years.

As far as SYRIZA was concerned, PASOK’s leader said that political uncertainty will make negotiations with them difficult. "SYRIZA says that it is not bound by Greece’s commitments. Yet all countries rely on continuity."

Asked about possible cooperation with SYRIZA within a shared government, Venizelos said that "SYRIZA says contradictory, unacceptable things, but we have already experienced this with New Democracy. And they spoke the same way as they entered the government of Papademos".

"Citizens know what is acceptable and what is not. You can’t shrug it all off while your country is in danger", Venizelos snapped.

"Our concern is that the country maintain its achievements ... We should find the place we deserve on the world market and in the Eurozone. PASOK is able to guarantee stability in the future. Unfortunately, although we have vast achievements, our relations with the markets are still odd. Speculations are running high. On the other hand, we are beyond the point of return. Only 10% of our debt belongs to the financial markets, but they can fool around even with this percentage," stressed PASOK’s leader.