From Golden Dawn to gloomy dusk : Some reflections on the Greek neo-Nazi party

1The Greek neo-Nazi group named ‘Popular Association - Golden Dawn’ (Χρυσή Αυγή) was founded in the early 80’s and became a political party in the early 90’s. Golden Dawn remained politically irrelevant until the last Greek national election of 2012 when it obtained 6,92% of votes and 18 members in the Parliament.

2Before asking “why” an openly Nazi party was able to obtain such electoral victory in a European democratic country, let us first recall the ‘inspiration’ and ‘philosophy’ of Golden Dawn. The party’s racial program is directly inspired by the German national socialist ideology, as publicly and repeatedly declared by party’s leader members and by the founder, Nikólaos Michaloliákos. The main purpose of Golden Dawn is and always was fighting immigrants. During the last two years, violent and inhumane ‘action squad’ attacks against immigrants and political opponents have become routine in the streets, schools and hospitals across Greece.

3As to “why” this happened, we should consider the dramatic social and political situation that characterized Greece since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008. The effects of the crisis and budget laws passed in Greece in the last few years are well known to all of us. Just to give a few examples, the unemployment rate has reached 27%, in half a million family nobody has a job and 50% of Greeks live at or below the poverty line. The data on immigration – a problem that Greek politics and the European Union (EU) never quite adequately addressed – is noteworthy: 1,3 million people at the end of 2012, counting regular and ‘irregular’ immigrants and asylum seekers, over a total population of about 11 million. In this scenario of poverty, crime increased dramatically creating a fertile ground for Golden Dawn to plant its seeds for ‘ethnic cleansing’ and ‘freedom of the Greek Nation’.

4The analysis of 2012 election clearly shows why the neo-Nazi party could be elected in a European assembly. As reported by Dimitri Deliolanes in his latest and quite informative book (“Albadorata. La Grecia nazista minaccia l’Europa”, 2013), 29% of Golden Dawn voters declared that they did an “act of protest” against the political system, 27% voted for the “immigration problem”, 14% voted for the party’s political program and 13% voted Golden Dawn because they were concerned about the country’s security issues.

5On the other hand, it is not so easy to understand why Greek and EU politics remained inactive before this situation. It is undeniable that in the eyes of Greeks voters the political system that led the Country for the last thirty years bears a heavy responsibility in the current dramatic economic crisis. In this respect, we point out that many votes came to Golden Dawn from former voters of the far-right party Laos (Orthodox Popular Coalition), who now consider Laos as part of the mainstream corrupt party system and ‘accomplice’ in the latest budget and austerity laws. A similar phenomenon has been observed with left-wing voters who swung from the historical socialist party Pasok to the new left-wing party Syriza.

6EU’s approach towards the Greek crisis is particularly hard to understand. The “Troika” (EU Central Bank, European Commission and International Monetary Fund) is pushing an austerity policy even though it is evidently leading to the collapse of the Greek society. Moreover, the rationale behind EU’s approach to the Golden Dawn issue becomes unclear when we make a comparison with the firm and strong reaction against the leader of the Austrian party FPÖ, Jörg Haider, at the beginning of 2000. In the case of Greece, only the Council of Europe sent a commissioner for human rights in 2013, who wrote a Report pleading for a ban of Golden Dawn.

7From a constitutional point of view, art. 29 - paragraph I of the Greek Constitution establishes that the organization and activity of political parties must serve the free functioning of the democratic government. However, the Constitution was not sufficient to interfere with Golden Dawn’s rise to power. Some Greek jurists believed that the issue could be resolved trough the sanctions of the Greek Penal Code about criminals organizations. In the end, this is what happened. The ‘detonator’ was the murder of the anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas, also know as Killah P, by a Golden Dawn’s militant on September 2013. Fyssas’ murder was the last act of violence after months of frequent physical attacks perpetrated by Golden Dawn, ended sometimes with the death of immigrant people. The shocking event sparked many protests across Greece and started an investigation by the Magistracy that uncovered, trough wiretapping, the external involvement of Golden Dawn’s leadership, including some members of the Parliament. In fact, the killer was in contact with some party members before and after the murder.

8After Fyssas’ murder, a wave of incriminations has hit many party leaders including Nikólaos Michaloliákos, who were arrested for belonging to a criminal organization. In Greece, it is possible to issue an arrest warrant against members of the Parliament for such crime, without any prior authorization from the Parliament. On October 2, 2013, the Parliament revoked the immunity (art. 62 Greek Constitution, immunity of the members of the Parliaments) to six Golden Dawn’s members and on October 23, 2013, voted an amendment that interrupted public funding for political parties (art. 29.2 Greek Constitution, financial support of parties by the State) whose leaders are accused of criminal association and acts of terrorism.

9Although late, Greece has found the courage to react. Nevertheless, a reaction from Golden Dawn’s electorate is still possible, since the polls give the party’s share of vote at 6%, declining from 12% before Fyssas’ murder.

10Solving the problems that led to Golden Dawn’s rise requires reforming the Greek political and economic system. This would also require a change of approach by the EU towards Greece economic problems. While in the past the EU has looked elsewhere, ignoring the advance of the neo-Nazi parties (not only in Greece) and caring exclusively for the economic debt and social spending cuts, now it should start worrying about the next European election of 2014: For sure, it will be a crucial test for the democratic future of the Union.