The Economist
ON SEPTEMBER 28TH Nikos Michaloliakos, the leader of Golden Dawn, was arrested along with four other MPs and 14 party supporters in Greece. It followed the stabbing on September 18th of Pavlos Fyssas, a left-wing anti-fascist rapper, allegedly murdered by a Golden Dawn member. Mass rallies gathered against the group and its approval rating in opinion polls dropped from 15% in September to about 6% now. But who is behind Golden Dawn and what does it stand for?
Mr Michaloliakos started the far-right party in the 1980s and registered it as a political group in 1993. Characterised by anti-Semitism, homophobia and racism, its neo-Nazi members are prone to bouts of violence. Scores of immigrants have spoken of being attacked by mobs. In a televised debate during the 2012 election Ilias Kassidiaris, an MP and spokesperson for the group, attacked a female panellist and threw water in the face of another woman. Earlier this year Mr Kassidiaris claimed that the Holocaust did not happen. Allegations against the Golden Dawn leadership—and the basis for the current arrests—include murder, attempted murder, setting off explosions and robbery. The report by a prosecutor claims that Golden Dawn's structure is parallel to a military-like force whose members attack mainly immigrants, and that the group's hierarchical structure means the party leadership knows of every attack.
Having been a small fringe fascist group for decades, Golden Dawn really came to prominence in 2011, amid the euro crisis. In the 2012 election it won 7% of the vote and 22 seats in Greece's 300-strong parliament (it now holds 18). Although its torchlit parades, swastika-like logo and bands of black-clad hooligans alienate many Greeks, the party consistently came third in opinion polls for many months. Several reasons accounted for the surge of support. Greece has been in recession for five years. Public-sector jobs are being cut. The party frequently gives out food (though only to Greeks), in a bid to increase approval. It runs "National Awakening Sessions", providing lectures on Greek history with a fascist slant, and has tried to whip up support among teenagers and children at primary schools. Such tactics have boosted its profile.
Many hope that the crackdown on September 28th will change this. During a trip to New York on September 30th Antonis Samaras, the Greek prime minister, spoke of eradicating the "shame" of Golden Dawn. On the same day his government drafted a law to cut state support for the party (Golden Dawn is due to receive around $1.2m in state funding this year). If the allegations that Golden Dawn is a criminal organisation can be proven then Mr Samaras's government might be able to claw back some support. Mr Samaras might even be able to call an election next spring, in the hope of getting a stronger result for New Democracy, his party. If the allegations founder, however, then Mr Samaras runs the risk of looking undemocratic and heavy-handed—which would be an unhappily ironic result, given the tactics of his opponents.
