Greek parties unveil their new election campaign posters

Η πρώτη αφίσα του ΠΑΣΟΚ με πρόεδρο την Μερκελ, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

PASOK - It's possible. Yes, It's possible - A powerful and independent Greece.



New Democracy - With every bribe, get one free



LAOS - A powerful voice in Europe

Democratic Alliance - Dora the Explorer gets political.

Greece's PM's horse trading reveals political system at odds with public opinion

Over the last week the world's media have been camped out in central Athens following the machinations of Greece's political caste as they vie for power and government positions. Papandreou remains, for the time being, prime minister having survived against the odds a vote of confidence on Friday, a feat that has both mystified observers both domestic and foreign. For the past three days the countries political leaders have been locked in negotiations over what form the so-called government of national unity will take. I thought I'd take the time to try and explain some of the major player involved and why creating a coalition seems to be causing so many problems for Greek politicians.



As we speak Greek prime minister and leader of nominally ( labels such as left and right have no firm meaning in a system that is predicted on gaining and keeping power) socialist PASOK party has agreed, at least in theory to come to an agreement with former room mate and leader of the nominally conservative New Democracy party.



The dilemma Samaras faces is that any co-operation with a figure as despised as Papandreou is disasterous for both New democracy's delicate internal political balance and any future electoral campaigning as his  leadership of his party is beset with problems since groups who align themselves with former prime minister Konstandinos Karamanlis are waiting in the wings to mount a leadership challenge.

Also with so little room to manoeuvre New Democracy's claim that they could deal better with the pressure emanating from Berlin and Paris over the nature of austerity measures would be put to the test and most probably be found to be little more than a PR ploy.

On the other hand Giorgos Karatzefris, leader of the far right LAOS party could conceivably be roped into a coalition government,as the party previously voted with PASOK to pass the first round of austerity measures. Although Karatzaferis faces fewer internal challenges (the party, like so many others in Greek political history, is, in essence a vehicle for his personal political ambitions) than Samaras, previous co-operation with PASOK has serious damaged LAOS's claims to be the only true patriotic defenders of the Greek fatherland and cost them poll support.



At the other end of the political spectrum Fotis Kouvelis, the leader of the tiny Democratic Left party has been mooted as possible new leader, presumably resurrecting the policy favoured by medieval French baron in elevating the weakest and least able amongst them to kingship. But once again, any party seen siding with the government is likely to severely punished in the next elections.



The Greek communist party ( KKE) and the reformist socialist SYRIZA coalition party have made it perfectly clear that will not even contemplate taking party in any unity government believing that such a government simply legitimises the deeply unpopular public spending cuts and tax hikes being imposed by Greece's creditors. Instead communist leader Aleka Papariga has called for open defiance to austerity measures and communist affiliated unions are in the forefront of industrial action designed to fight cuts.

Similiarly, Alexis Tsipras's SYRIZA coalition has also rejected any possibility of working with Papandreou's government, instead promoting a campaign of protest and civil disobedience against the austerity package.

What's left is a hodge podge of independent MPs many of them former PASOK members who've been drummed out of the party for failing to follow the party line so chance are they will be less than willing to trust their former colleagues.

However, what last weeks' dramatic developments have shown is that very little is certain in Greek politics and that MP's statement concerning who and what they support are little more than negotiating ploys and cannot be taken at face value. The endless round of horse trading and ever changing political gamesmanship has left many Greeks even more disgusted than ever with the seemingly amoral behaviour of their representatives who seem to consider party political careers a far more worthy use of their time than trying to repair their credibility with voters.

The reality remains that whatever government is formed they will be faced with the same unpalatable choices that forced the prime minister to offer his resignation and the same angry, resentful citizens who believe that they are paying for greed and incompetence of the country's political and economic elites.

Giorgos Karatzaferis, head of Greece's far right LAOS party (right) condemned by Europe Commission Against Racism and Intolerance for anti - semitism

Giorgos Karatzafaeris, head of Geece's far right LAOS party (right) condemned by the Europe Commission Against Racism and Intolerance for anti - semitism, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance

"The leader of a right-wing extremist party ( LAOS led by Giorgos Karatzaferis) , which won approximately 3% of the votes in the 2007 parliamentary elections, often makes public antisemitic and racist statements, including blaming immigrants for a surge in drug-related crimes and violence. Thus far, he has not been prosecuted for any of these statements under Law 927/1979."

http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/ecri/Country-by-country/Greece/GRC-CbC-IV-2009-031-ENG.pdf

Δημοσιεύθηκε η 4η έκθεση Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης για φυλετικές διακρίσεις στην Ελλάδα

«Ο επικεφαλής του ακροδεξιού κόμματος ΛΑ.Ο.Σ. [σημ. Γιώργος Καρατζαφέρης]… κάνει συχνά δημόσια αντισημιτικές και ρατσιστικές δηλώσεις, κατηγορώντας ακόμη τους μετανάστες για αύξηση των εγκλημάτων που σχετίζονται με ναρκωτικά και της βίας. Έως τώρα, δεν έχει διωχθεί για καμία από αυτές τις δηλώσεις σύμφωνα με το Νόμο 927/1979.» (παρ. 91)

http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/ecri/Country-by-country/Greece/GRC-CbC-IV-2009-031-GRC.pdf

Giorgos Karatzaferis - leader of Greece's far right LAOS party

Karatzaferis was speaking in Thessaloniki this afternoon. As head of the far right LAOS party he has spearheaded a campaign for mainstream legitimacy with regular appearances on TV chat shows and the like. The party was one of the few to make any gains during the recent European parliamentary elections, draining votes from the unpopular conservative New Democracy party. However, like so many politicians of his ilk he has more than a few skeletons in the closet, as this 2007 article from the Greek national daily, Kathimerini points out.

By Takis Kambylis - Kathimerini

“First of all, I am not a Jew. Can the prime minister say that of himself? Secondly, I am not a communist. Can Mr Karamanlis say that?” asked LAOS leader Giorgos Karatzaferis, speaking in Corinth on May 28, 2002. “Thirdly, I am not a homosexual. There aren’t many who can say that,” he added. He was not widely quoted at the time, but Karatzaferis is given to making remarks of a similar nature, and had in the past made reference to a grandfather of then Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Aaron Avouris.

Anti-Semitism has long been the LAOS leader’s favorite subject. Long before he founded LAOS, when he was still a parliamentary deputy for the New Democracy party, he had founded Nea Elpida (New Hope), something between a non-profit

firm and a political party, through which he made overtures to the extreme right-wing Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn) and its “worthy fighters.”

When regular journalism is for the birds, Twitter

A few days ago Greek TV ( and I mean with 12 channels showing the same footage, nearly all of it) a "debate" with the leaders of the major parties in the run up to the European elections. I use the "debate" in inverted commas as the format of the event involved questions from a panel of journalist and the politicians' answers. At no point were the reporters or other leaders allowed to query responses. As a result what you had was a dull, lacklustre affair in which those questioned were allowed to simply trot out the party line. There were no opportunities to further probe the answers or engage in anything that resembles the word "debate", at least in English.



I think that the format of the discussion neatly reflects the relationship between the mainstream media and those in power. Yes, you are allowed to ask difficult questions, on occasion, but in the final analysis the politicians have the final word. There is no follow up, and at least for those at the top of this particular greasy pole, no exposure to the harsh wind of critical questioning. The politicians were free to ignore any difficult question and so got out the line set down by the party hacks, PR experts and God knows who else in the wings.

The whole programme was less an exercise in democracy than a beauty pageant, except I think that nowadays most contestants in, say Miss World would give more convincing answers. I shudder to think what the bikini round would look like, though.

On the other hand I followed the event live on Twitter (use #deb8) and that was a much more interesting experience as the idiocies and inanities of our political betters were ruthlessly exposed and dissected. Not least of which was the almost total absence of European issues in a debate over the European elections.

Waffle, evasion and laughable attempts at manipulation marked the answers by most of those involved. The only funny thing about the debate was the clumsy way in which Georgios Karatzaferis, leader of the far right, LAOS party flirted with the possibility of some kind of political alliance with ruling conservatives, New Democracy. Kiss, but no tongue it seems so far. Still with prime minister Kostas Karamanlis up to his neck in scandals and dire poll results looming who knows if this isn't the start of another beautiful friendship.

Greece and Britain - The far right waiting to fill the gap

It is interesting how the political situation in Britain and Greece seems to be in synch. In both countries the major parties have been tarred by scandals and public faith in their credibility at an all - time low. Whether it be the MP expenses debacle in the House of Commons or the endless list of bribery and corruption scandals in Athens the picture seems to the same. That power corrupts and that those in charge have grown indifferent to the consequences of their greed seems blatantly obvious to even the casual observer.

Here in Greece asking most people to choose which of the two major parties they want in power is like asking a Pole in 1939 who is going to benefit the country most; Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union? Similarly in Britain the choices are grim and I doubt if many of those who vote in the forthcoming European elections will do so without holding their nose while they cast their ballot.

Unfortunately, this climate of distrust and disillusionment with the present political set up has had unexpected benefits for small far right parties in both Greece and UK. In Greece the LAOS (Popular Orthodox Rally) party is eagerly awaiting the possibility of sending another representative to Brussels/Strasburg. Already they have 10 MPs in the national assembly and are a regular feature on TV shows, part of their attempt to obtain mainstream respectability.



Likewise the British National Party (BNP) has also given itself a media make over. No more nasty skinheads marching down rainy high streets in Doc Martins, they have been replaced by men in suits with handy sound bites and TV friendly publicity ops. Unlike their Greek counterparts they do not have parliamentary representation, though this has more to do with Britain's first past the post voting system than any lack of support.



Let's not be fooled by the smooth words and newly found moderation in their speech. In both cases these parties represent the worst in political ideologies and given half a chance they will use and abuse any power given them to further a more extremist agenda.

American film maker beaten by ultra - nationalists

An American documentary film maker was attacked and beaten during a political rally last night in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. The critic and film maker was visiting the city in order to attend a documentary film festival and was passing by the rally by the far right LAOS party in the central Agias Sophias square when he was set upon by 8 to 10 ultra-nationalists carrying iron bars and clubs who according to police reports, were most likely party supporters. According to the victim's account the attack was probably provoked by the fact that the assailants thought he was a photographer.

Click here for report from the Makedonia newspaper in Greek.