Never before has anyone been so glad to see him Alexis Tsipras like journalists waiting for their heroes in the ERT courtyard from the very beginning distant work. The President of the Official Opposition was the last political leader to arrive on Radio Megaro, which meant, among other things, that we would finally be inside and our castles would work again. Listening to Christina Sousi yesterday, I could only hold back that there would be no rain during the TV fight, I missed that it would be… November in the north. However, late yesterday I found out that ERT I won’t leave with answers. I’ll probably leave in a hurry.

However, the cold and wind helped to create an atmosphere of uneasiness and interest around the debate. As you know, in these cases, it is the omissions, what happens on the sidelines of the TV fight, that are of more interest than the TV match itself – at least in the conditions in which it was held in recent (many) years. . Who will arrive first, who will be accompanied, what the journalists will wear, what they will say in their speeches on cameras, how the staff will behave.

However, this time the tradition that political leaders should arrive in the reverse order of their parliamentary strength was broken. Was the first to arrive Kyriakos Velopoulosfounder and president of Hellenic Solution – even before Mara Zachareas, who was the last of the journalists, arrived – while being followed Janis Varoufakishead of MeRA25, and Dimitris Koutsoubas, VC. Central Committee of the KKE.

But the prime minister made a surprise Kyriakos Mitsotakis who arrived immediately after, before them Nikos Androulakis And Alexis Tsipras. In fact, unlike the political leaders who preceded him, the president of New Democracy walked towards the entrance to the Radio Tower away from his staff, who followed him from afar. Nikos Androulakis appeared immediately after, and Alexis Tsipras was the last to arrive, also well ahead of his retinue, including the glittering Popi Tsapanida. Prior to this, we had toured to the point where our judgment was controlled, but a group of journalists who were at that moment in the ERT courtyard voted Mr. Koutsoubas and Mr. Mitsotakis as the most cheerful political leaders.

The make-up artists, who were impatiently waiting for political figures in different halls, experienced the greatest anxiety.

From the safety – and heating – of the press room, arranged on the 1st floor of the House of Radio to serve journalists, we recall the order of arrival of selected colleagues who will have the honor to ask questions of political leaders.

First, around 19.30, arrived Ko Kosioni (SKAI) and immediately after Rania Jima (Mega). According to him, the “groom” followed him. George Papadakis (ANT1), then o Panagiotis Statis (open), oh Anthony Schreuter (Alpha) and much later Mara Zachareas (Star) in a dazzling red dress. For those concerned, Ms. Kosioni wore green while Ms. Tsima opted for a black and white ensemble. All this was recorded by ERT employees, who were “stuck” in the windows, watching the leisurely process in the yard. The make-up artists, who were looking forward to the political leaders in different halls, were more worried.

Press center

Watching the process a little later from the receptions of the press center, how sterile it is (as you know, the frames are strictly delimited by parallel monologues, topics and times that are determined by the parties themselves, with microphones from other closed ones, when the political leader answers and the audience cannot see the reaction other political leaders), you realize that half the room is waiting for 10 pm. start the first semi-final of the Champions League between Milan and Inter, which will be of greater interest.

We are lucky in our trouble. The teleboy takes place in the restored ERTNEWS studio, the old Studio 4, which is rumored to be polar cold. The myth goes that some political leaders work better when the temperature is below zero. It is not known whether it was cold in the room, but during the first commercial break, both the prime minister and the president of the official opposition went to the toilet. In the same toilet. Waiting outside were Dimitris Tsiodras, director of the Prime Minister’s press office, and Babis Papadakis, director of the SYRIZA press office. “Now the real debate begins,” they said with a smile.