Far-right Golden Dawn exploits darker side of Greece's discontent

[bkepley]

Karolina Tagaris
Reuters

THERMOPYLAE, Greece (Reuters) - Flaming torches raised, far-right Golden Dawn supporters dressed in black chanted the Greek national anthem as darkness fell on Thermopylae, where King Leonidas and 300 Spartans defied a vast Persian army in 480 BC.

Standing before them, a member of the European Parliament from Golden Dawn, the euro zone's most extreme right-wing political party, roused the crowd with defiant denunciations of enemies at home and abroad ahead of a national election on Sept. 20.

"The message of Leonidas - Molon Labe (Come and get it) - is as timely today as ever for everything tormenting Greece," the retired lieutenant general, Eleftherios Synadinos, told supporters waving flags bearing the party's Swastika-like emblem.

"We're not like everyone else with heads bowed down. We're upright, we're standing and the message will be delivered on Sept. 20 ... We must not surrender arms. We must not back down," he said, to which the crowd roared: "People! Army! Nationalism!"
...
Its appeal has been largely immune to accusations of neo-Nazism and brutality, which the party denies. What first propelled it from obscurity into parliament in 2012 -- anger at unemployment, austerity, corrupt politicians and immigrants -- shows little sign of abating.

"There remains a belief among a big part of Greek society that the entire political system needs a good kicking and many believe Golden Dawn is the way to deliver it," said Costas Panagopoulos, head of independent polling agency ALCO.

The party is the most popular among 18- to 24-year-olds, angered by the government's decision to reverse course and accept tough bailout terms from international creditors.

NO BAILOUTS, NO IMMIGRANTS

Golden Dawn remained on the fringes for years after it was founded it in 1985 and in the 2009 election won 0.29 percent of the vote, or fewer than 20,000 votes.

In 2012 it entered parliament for the first time with nearly 7 percent and came third in last January's election as well with 6.2 percent.

Opinion polls show it is on track to win 5.5 to 7.2 percent of the vote on Sept. 20, competing against centrists, Socialists and Communists for third place.
...
In its manifesto, Golden Dawn says all "illegal immigrants" should be rounded up, detained and sent home. The party, whose members have been seen giving Nazi-style salutes, also wants tax breaks to boost Greece's low birth rate to "avoid us becoming a minority in our own country".

In a pre-election TV spot, leader Nikos Mihaloliakos, who was under house arrest until July, stands beside the national flag in a suit and urges Greeks to support the party's "battle against those who have pillaged your dreams".

"A vote for Golden Dawn means no to bailouts, no to illegal immigration, no to foreign rule," he says.

More here: http://news.yahoo.com/far-golden-dawn-exploits-darker-side-greeces-discontent-172607131.html

[Fishrrman]

Say what you will about the right-wing European parties such as Golden Dawn.

If any nations of Europe are to retain national sovereignty and ethnic consistency in the wake of the coming islamic assault on The West, it will happen ONLY through the rise of such parties in their respective nations.

NONE of the other parties -- not the left, not the "centrists", not the "conservatives" (sneer) have within the notion to even say (letalone consider) that such things as race, religion, borders, and traditions should be protected, have the right to maintain themselves free from outside pollution. These are the elements that create "nations". Eliminate those elements, fail to maintain them, and you will eliminate the nations as a result.

By the refusal of the "mainstream" parties -- or more likely, their fear -- to provide such protection, they have created a vacuum in Europe that cannot long exist by itself.

That vaccum will be filled by parties like Golden Dawn, The National Front, UKIP, the Austrian "Freedom Party", and so on.

If not for them, it will be filled by default -- by islam.

[bkepley]

Yeah right .... we'll find the bad guys and I can assure you that it ain't us.

[Oceander]

I guess it's the Greeks' turn to have a little fascist makeover.

[Godzilla]

I guess it's the Greeks' turn to have a little fascist makeover.

And yet, Merkel's the one in the Nazi uniform.  At least, in the Greek press.