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Greece's Far-Right Party Goes on the Offensive

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Greece's Far-Right Party Goes on the Offensive GOLDEN daWN ON THE March: supporters of Golden Dawn, which now lies third in the polls, sing the national anthem at a rally in May REUTERS/YORGOS KARAHALIS Greece’s far-right party goes on the offensive Golden Dawn makes further gains amid the nation’s economic collapse BY DINA KYriakidoU ATHENS, NOVEMBER 12, 2012 SPECIAL REPORT 1 GOLDEN DAWN GREECE’S FAR-RIGHT PARTY GOES ON THE OFFENSIVE rm raised in a Nazi-style salute, the leader of Greece’s fastest-rising Apolitical party surveyed hundreds of young men in black T-shirts as they ex- ploded into cheers. Their battle cry rever- berated through the night: Blood! Honour! Golden Dawn! “We may sometimes raise our hand this way, but these hands are clean, not dirty. They haven’t stolen,” shouted Nikolaos Mi- haloliakos as he stood, floodlit, in front of about 2,000 diehard party followers filling an open-air amphitheatre at Goudi park, a former military camp near Athens. “We were dozens, then a few hundred. Now we’re thousands and it’s only the be- ginning,” cried the leader of Golden Dawn, a far-right party that is seeing its support soar amid Greece’s economic collapse. Last month’s rally revealed the party, which de- scribes itself as nationalist and pledges to expel all illegal foreigners, has a new-found sense of triumph, even a swagger, that some NatioNalist FERVOUR: the party boasts of military efficiency, and some of its supporters, seen here find menacing. during an election rally, favour black shirts and straight-arm salutes. REUTERS/YANNIS BEHRAKIS Riding a wave of public anger at corrupt politicians, austerity and illegal immigra- tion, Golden Dawn has seen its popular- Violent behaviour by Golden Dawn mem- Analysts believe that, ultimately, the ity double in a few months. A survey by bers, who often stroll through run-down party lacks the broad appeal and structure VPRC, an independent polling company, Athens neighbourhoods harassing immi- needed to gain mass traction. In World put the party’s support at 14 percent in Oc- grants, seems to boost rather than hurt the War Two Greece suffered massacres and tober, compared with the seven percent it party’s standing. famine in its fight against the Nazis, and won in June’s election. As the government imposes yet more the spectre of the 1967-1974 military junta Political analysts see no immediate austerity on an enraged public, the collapse still hangs heavy over its modern politics. halt to its meteoric ascent. They warn that of the ruling conservative-leftist coalition So why are many Greeks now turning to a Golden Dawn, which denies being neo- remains on the political horizon. The pos- party whose emblems and rhetoric, critics Nazi despite openly adopting similar ideol- sibility that Golden Dawn could capture say, resemble Hitler’s? ogy and symbols, may lure as many as one second place in a snap election is slim but Golden Dawn denies any such resem- in three Greek voters. real, say pollsters. blance. In an interview with Reuters at an “As long as the political system doesn’t open-air cafe in the Athens district of Pap- change and doesn’t put an end to cor- Golden Dawn’s target is agou, a traditional neighbourhood for mili- ruption, this phenomenon will not be simple. We want the absolute tary personnel, Ilias Panagiotaros, a Golden stemmed,” said Costas Panagopoulos, chief majority in parliament so we Dawn lawmaker and spokesman, explained of ALCO, another independent polling the party’s appeal. “Golden Dawn is the company. “Golden Dawn can potentially can replace the constitution only institution in this country that works. tap up to 30 percent of voters.” with our own. Everything else has stopped working or is The party now lies third in the polls, be- partially working,” he said. hind conservative New Democracy and the Ilias Kasidiaris “We operate like a well-organised main opposition, the radical leftist Syriza. a Golden Dawn lawmaker army unit, because the military is the best SPECIAL REPORT 2 GOLDEN daWN Greece’S FAR-RIGHT partY GOES ON THE OFFENSIVE institution in any country.” Changing fortunes of Greek parties Short, squat and combative, Mihalo- Share of vote in last three elections and voting intention liakos once praised Hitler and denied the according to recent polls Nazi gas chambers existed. A former spe- cial forces commando in the Greek army, ELECTION RESULTS POLL RESULTS he met the leaders of the Greek military junta while in prison for carrying illegal weapons and explosives as a member of a Syriza far-right group in 1979. 30% When pressed on such issues, Golden Dawn says they are all in the past and it is looking to the future. New 20 Democracy For years after Mihaloliakos founded the party in 1985 it remained marginal: in the 2009 elections Golden Dawn won just 0.29 percent of the vote, or fewer than 20,000 10 votes. Yet in June, the party amassed votes from across the political spectrum, wiping Golden Dawn out the more moderate nationalist LAOS 0 Pasok party and winning support from as far left May June July Aug. Sept.Oct. as the communist KKE party, pollsters said. Now it is stealing votes from New De- Source: Greek interior ministry and polling companies Pulse, MRB and VPRC mocracy, which flip-flopped on the inter- national bailout keeping Greece afloat and, after coming to power, imposed harsh cuts tra, an unemployed Athenian, as she walked of the podium, flagged with a big sign instead of relief measures. Though Golden through the party’s rally at Goudi park. “All reading “Getting the stink off the country”, Dawn attracts mainly urban male voters up the other politicians have sold us out.” while speakers delivered patriotic oratories. to 35 years old, the party is also gaining its The gathering was a chance for the par- A short film showed highlights of the share of women and the elderly, primarily ty to relish achievements and flex muscle. year, which included attacks on immigrant those suffering unemployment or falling Well-built youths in black T-shirts embla- street vendors, clashes with police outside living standards, say pollsters. zoned with the Swastika-like party logo parliament and food distribution to the Part of its appeal is down to the sort of stood in military formation at the entrance. poor. When the film showed Golden Dawn welfare work that Hamas, the Palestinian Two men stood to attention on both sides lawmaker Ilias Kasidiaris slapping a female party, does in Gaza. Golden Dawn distrib- communist lawmaker, Liana Kanelli, across utes food in poor neighbourhoods, helps old the face on live TV, youths bellowed pro- ladies get money safely from ATMs - and fanities against the victim. has also set up a Greeks-only blood bank. “Golden Dawn’s target is simple. We One story repeated at cafes, but not veri- want the absolute majority in parliament fied, is that of a Greek whose house is taken so we can replace the constitution with our over by immigrants. When he asks the po- own,” Kasidiaris told the crowd. “It will lice for help, he is given the Golden Dawn then be easy to immediately arrest and de- number. Not only do they throw out the port all illegal immigrants.” squatters but deliver the house clean and Pollsters were ready to write off the painted, the tale goes. party when Kasidiaris slapped Kanelli af- “I voted for Golden Dawn for the first COMbatiVE: Nikolaos Mihaloliakos, leader of ter she swatted him with some papers dur- time in June and I will vote for them again Golden Dawn, said on a recent TV programme ing a dispute he was having with a Syriza because they are the only ones who really that Hitler was a ‘great personality of the 20th lawmaker. Kasidiaris says he was defending care about Greece,” said 45-year-old Deme- century’. REUTERS/YANNIS BEHRAKIS himself; Kanelli says she was coming to the SPECIAL REPORT 3 GOLDEN DAWN GREECE’S FAR-RIGHT PARTY GOES ON THE OFFENSIVE aid of the Syriza lawmaker after Kasidiaris nian was attacked with a sword by a masked workers who leave for their jobs in the morn- had thrown water at her. motorcycle rider; in August a young Iraqi was ing fear they may not come back home.” Painting Golden Dawn as an aberration stabbed to death. Golden Dawn strongly denies any in- stemming from the financial crisis, pollsters “This is not even the tip of the iceberg - volvement in racist attacks. Several of its said the party’s support would dwindle. The there are even more attacks that are not re- members have been detained in relation to opposite happened - the party gained 3 to 4 corded anywhere,” said Daphne Kapetanaki such assaults, but have been released for lack percentage points in polls as a direct result of the UNHCR. of evidence. of the Kasidiaris incident. Victims or witnesses sometimes identify One Nigerian victim, 31-year-old Confi- “In this slap, Greek society saw the Golden Dawn members as the attackers. Ja- dence Ordu, said he was beaten up by Golden whole, immoral political establishment get vied Aslam, head of the Pakistani Commu- Dawn supporters in broad daylight in Athens slapped,” said Panagiotaros, a thick-set man nity in Greece organisation, estimates that in January as passersby looked on without with a shaved head and a goatee. “People about 400 Pakistanis have been attacked intervening. Ordu, who was granted asylum thought: finally!” in the past eight months by Golden Dawn when he came to Greece five years ago, said supporters.
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