Greece: Racism and fascism
01 January 1991
Greece: Racism and fascism
artdoc April=1995
Ultra-nationalists enter Euro-parliament for first time
The ultra-nationalist Political Spring Party, which was created
just six months ago by Antonis Samaras, a former conservative
minister, has won 8.7% of the vote in the European elections,
almost double its share in the general election (Financial Times
14.6.94).
Macedonian group excluded from Euro-elections
The Greek Supreme Court prohibited a party drawn from Greece's
ethnic Macedonian minority from standing candidates in the
European elections. Two parties described as on the extreme Left
were also banned. The Rainbow party, which had a slate of 21
ethnic Macedonians, or sympathisers, was excluded from the
elections on the grounds that it had not stated its principles
as being `opposed to any action aiming at the violent seizure of
power, or the overthrow of a free democratic regime'. The
government denies the existence of a community of Slavic speaking
Macedonians within its borders and argues that Macedonian is not
a language, but a Bulgarian dialect (Independent 31.5.94).
Election violence linked to Macedonian question
During the European election campaign, two members of the far-
Right attacked, in an apparent assassination attempt, three
Communist party candidates in northern Greece at a public
meeting.The assailants were beaten off by Communist party
activists in an incident that was recorded and widely televised.
It is believed that the far-Right targeted the Communists because
of their criticism of government belligerence toward Macedonia.
This is in line with far-Right violence generally. Greece's
former foreign minister, Michalis Pacaconstantinou, who has
recently criticised Greek extremists for whipping up problems in
Albania, has received death threats.
The belief that Greek concerns on Macedonia are not heeded
within the EC is leading to an intensification of nationalism.
Recent opinion polls show 55 per cent of Greeks saying that their
country should reinforce its `Greek Orthodox' identity over its
European identity. The wife of Greek's president, Dimitria
Papendreou has recently said that Greeks should resist `the
European way of thinking' and that Serbs should be supported in
their fight against religious imperialism, in the shape of Islam
and Catholicism (Independent 9.6.94).
IRR European Race Audit, Bulletin no 10, September 1994. Contact:
Liz Fekete, Institute of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke Street, London
WC1X 9HS. Tel: 0171 837 0041