Is a Golden Dawn role in government on the cards in Greece?

Last week the leading commentator at one of Greece's largest private TV stations raised the possibility of a political alliance between the ruling conservative New Democracy party and the Neonazis in Golden Dawn.

"Why shouldn't New Democracy co-operate with a serious Golden Dawn?" asked Babis Papadimitriou, the head of the staunchly pro-government Skai TV. The statement was prompted by the latest opinion polls that show the continued rise of Golden Dawn, now at 13-15% and the poor showing of the other partner in the Greek ruling coalition, PASOK, whose fall from electoral Grace has seen support plummet from 42% to 7- 8% within the space of four years.

Papadimitriou's remarks immediately provoked a storm of angry response from Greek Twittersphere and political commentators, many of whom believe that this is the first step in the process of "rehabilitating" Golden Dawn. Such was the reaction that Skai dedicated an entire hour the following day to giving Papadimitriou a chance to clarify his stance. His argument was that Golden Dawn, Greece's third most popular party now represent a large proportion of  the electorate and that a similar alliance between centre right and far right parties had already taken place in Norway.

At first glance such an alliance would contradict prime minister, Antonis Samaras's  policy of presenting himself and his party as a bulwark against the threat of rising extremism. The Policy of The Two Extremes as it has been termed involves the government and its supporters in the pro-government mass media painting both its opponents on the Left and Right as a dangerous challenge to political stability, harking back to the often chaotic politics that Greece lived through during the 20th century. With junior partner, the nominally left-wing PASOK party hemorrhaging votes, it's leader Evangelos venizelos has been more than willing to go along with this strategy in the hope of scaring back voters from SYRIZA.

The violence used and glorified by Golden Dawn is therefore equated with supposedly similar trends in SYRIZA and the Greek Communist Party (KKE). In such an equation, brutal attacks on immigrants, Nazi salutes and 1930's style Brown Shirt street fighting is considered the same as strike action or sit down protests. In such a world, New Democracy and PASOK can present themselves as a sane alternative to such political madness, a stabilising influence in difficult times.


The problem with this theory is that just does not reflect reality on the ground, no matter how much political and media spin is used. The rise in political influence and extremism on right has not be mirrored by 1930's style street tactics on the left. It is Golden Dawn MP's who have been charged (though not sent to convicted of) with a raft of offences ranging from assault to possession of illegal weapons. It is their supporters who have repeatedly been accused of endless list of attacks against immigrants and increasingly domestic political opponents.

As if to underline this just a day after Babis Papadimitriou talked of the possibility of  bringing Golden Dawn in to government, 50 of their supporters took part in a bloody attack on Greek communists who has putting up posters in the city of Perama which left nine of them in hospital.

On other hand the differences between Golden Dawn and New Democracy are fewer than they'd either would like to admit publically. The lurch to the right that PM, Antonis Samaras brought to his party has seen the rise to power of far right supporters, many refugees from the ultra-nationalist LAOS party which was all but wiped out in the last elections. In terms of immigration, for example, New Democracy's policies are little more than a more polished version of unvarnished racism of Golden Dawn.

Despite the political risks that both parties face forming an alliance, New Democracy, at least may not have any other choice. The party cannot rule on its own, having seen its share of the vote drop from 40+ % to 26-29% and it's current coalition partner PASOK is fading away, suffering a wane in political fortunes on par with that which struck the UK Liberal party in the 1920's.

Although die-hard supporters still maintain that PASOK leader, Evangelos Venizelos has a master plan to turn the situation around, the reality is that its decline is irrevocable and that any recovery that may take place is years in the future and almost certainly without the presence of Venizelos who has become personally identified with the decline in Greece's fortunes. The fact that a recent poll found that in one of Greece's largest electoral districts in Athens support for PASOK among younger voters was 0% just underlines the the scale of the problem.

Some commentators have argued that the government's demonisation of Golden Dawn rules out a coalition however, in true Orwellian fashion  New Democracy has changed policy stances on a number of occasions. Samaras positioned himself when in opposition as Greece's best hope to fight austerity and then once elected to promote himself as its most loyal defender. Yet one more u-turn in a long history of such moves would surprise few observers and given Samaras's own history as a semi-reconstructed ultra-nationalist an alliance with Golden Dawn would far more sense than one with his arch political rival, PASOK and its leadership.

What is in this for Golden Dawn is less clear since its entire existence is predicated upon its staunch opposition to the political establishment which it has painted as a hotbed of corruption and worse. They have made much of their anger with austerity, promoting themselves as agents of national resistance against a anti-Greek, internationally orientated elite who are betraying the homeland in order to hang onto power. To suddenly join up with New Democracy would risk them being consigned to the dustbin of history, suffering the same fate as far right LAOS party who made the same transition and paid the price for it at the polls.

On the other hand the siren call of access to the State and all the power and privileges that go with it has turned many a head in Greece's turbulent political past. With government position comes the ability to reward followers with public contracts and civil service jobs, a potent recruiting tool in difficult times. More importantly, a role in government brings legitimacy especially in the eyes of Greece's oligarch owned mainstream media who would quickly forget any qualms they once harboured about hosting violent Nazi style idealogues.

None of this is likely to happen soon unless the tensions that underlay the government coalition become untenable and since neither side is looking to go to the polls before it is absolutely necessary that seems unlikely. However, the fact that pro-New Democracy media is mooting the idea of a future alliance between Golden Dawn and New Democracy means that the prospect is being discussed and the waters tested.

Faced with the possibility of a future government lead by SYRIZA Greece's economic and political establishment would be more than willing to hold its nose and embrace a Neonazi party rather than see Greece clash with creditors over the terms of the bailout deal and the attendant risk of exit from the Eurozone.
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*Note. This post was written just days before a man identified as a Golden Dawn member was accused of stabbing to death singer and left-wing activist Pavlos Fyssas.

The use and abuse of Wikileaks in Greece

While Wikileaks has upturned much of the way in which states interact with the media, the effects of this upheaval have only impacted Greece only tangentially with very few of the US State department cables from Athens to Washington reaching the light of day (as I write this just four are available from the Cablegate mirror site).

After an initial flurry of newspaper and TV activity the issue disappeared from public view. However with the deal between the Norwegian daily Aftenposten and the Kathimerini newspaper and its sister TV channel Skai Wikileaks has once more become part of the local media landscape. Skai investigative TV show, Oi Fakeloi (The Files) has started running a series of programs which are using the material from the cables to shed light of areas of Greek political policy such as the relationships between Athens and its neighbours.

In that respect Wikileaks has fulfilled its mandate of allowing ordinary citizens to judge for themselves decision, often taken in secret by their own governments yet the Greek media, including the corporation that owns both Kathimerini and Skai is not just a neutral means of informing people about local and world events. As the US embassy cable from Athens pointed out;

"Closer inspection reveals a Greek media industry controlled by business tycoons whose other successful businesses enable them to subsidize their loss-making media operations. These media operations in turn enable them to exercise political and economic influence."

In this respect Skai and Kathimerini are no different to other media group operating in Greece and the fact that the both have their own political and economic agenda is obvious on most days. However, while most media outlets worldwide have their own ideological "leanings" there is a world of difference between adhering to a political or economic line and using your platform to exercise political pressure to push through policies favourable to the owner.

While the journalist working on The Fakeloi are serious in their intent of getting to the truth in Greek political life they are simply a small part of the media wing which is being used to gain leverage over a democratically elected government. In the case of Skai News reporting is being used as a battering ram to get Athens to adhere to a policy of public spending cuts and greater austerity measures which is deeply unpopular amongst the population in general.

Almost nightly the ruling PASOK administration is under fire for not fulfilling some aspect of the austerity package agreed by the troika (IMF, European Central Bank and the EU Commission). On the other hand legislation or policies which follow the line set down by Greece's creditors are often lavished with praise or presented without critical analysis.

Protests, however, by Greeks over cuts in living standards or loss of livliehoods are often go unreported or are termed acts of extremism. Case in point being the recent series of demonstrations against members of the government during public appearances. Such incidents have been condemned as an attack on democratic institutions and in some reports described as acts of fascist terrorism.While one might not agree with booing politicians and pelting them with yoghurt such cases cannot be compared with say, Kristallnacht which was the line put forward by Kathimerini columnist Angelos Stangou in an article publish last week.

In such an atmosphere the decision by Aftenposten and by default Wikileaks has given a media corporation with its own very particular agenda and enormously powerful tool to blackmail those in power. If they deviate from a favourable line then the threat of damaging revelations from Cablegate can be used to prompt a change of heart. This is not what Wikileaks was meant to be about, it was not envisaged as means of extorting preferential treatment for the rich and powerful but rather giving ordinary people the means to oversee their own rulers.

Unless the remainder of the State Department cables concerning Greece are released for scrutinisation then the ideals of Julian Assange and the other founders of Wikileaks are in danger of being compromised.

How to turn a problem into a crisis - Greek riot police storm the Acropolis

Today Greek riot police entered the grounds of the Acropolis this morning in order to expel protesting employees who were demonstrating over delays in payment of wages stretching back two years. In response the government sent in riot police units who used batons, shields and tear gas indiscriminately, attacking reporters covering the story as well as protesters (video from Skai News here - incident is 16 minutes in).

Junior minister for culture, Telemaxos Hiteris, speaking on Skai News defended the actions of the police saying that "the law was the law and 30 employees could not be allowed to close down the Acropolis."The permanent members of staff have gone on strike in support of colleagues on short term contracts.

What has happened is a minor industrial dispute involving a few dozen employees has through the violent intervention of the police been turned into a story which has gone global with yet more images of police officers clashing with demonstrators inside Greece's most familiar landmark. Once again the authorities have mixed indifference, incompetence and violent over reaction into a volatile cocktail which confirms many Greek's worst opinion of the government (One Greek Twitter user said the "we really do have a junta).

Instead of negotiation and discussion batons and tear gas were used so inflaming a tense situation and sending the message to the outside world that Greece is racked by violent confrontation. Of course, this is not the case but by providing such images the authorities are doing everything in their power to promote this idea.

Call on the Greek government to set up an independent commission of inquiry

Riot police break up protest march in Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Greek police shot and killed 15-year-old Alexandros-Andreas (Alexis) Gregoropoulos in Athens on 6 December 2008. A longstanding history of human rights violations committed by police in Greece was highlighted by the shooting and by the conduct of officers policing subsequent demonstrations in December 2008 and January 2009.

Following these events, Amnesty International has received numerous reports of such violations by police in the context of policing the protests, including excessive use of force and firearms, torture and other ill-treatment, arbitrary detention and denial of prompt access to legal assistance. Complaints of such violations have also been received from children.

Amnesty International believes that the authorities' response to the killing of Alexis Gregoropoulos and the protests which erupted in the aftermath of his death should not end with the ongoing police and judicial investigations.

In this context, a strong message must be sent to the Greek government that no one can be above the law - especially those charged with enforcing it.

Take Action. Join Amnesty International in urging the Greek government to set up an independent commission of inquiry, mandated to investigate the full circumstances surrounding the death of Alexis Gregoropoulos and the police response to the demonstrations and the riots that began on 6 December.

Amnesty International

Έκθεση "καταπέλτης" κατά της ΕΛΑΣ

Για "σοβαρές παραβιάσεις ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων" επικρίνει την ελληνική αστυνομία η Διεθνής Αμνηστία και καλεί την κυβέρνηση να κάνει έρευνα.

Σε έκθεση της που δημοσιοποιήθηκε τη Δευτέρα, η Διεθνής Αμνηστία αναφέρει ότι η αντίδραση της αστυνομίας στις ταραχές του Δεκεμβρίου στην Αθήνα υπήρξε "το αποκορύφωμα της συνταγματικής παραβίασης στην προστασία των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων".

Υποστηρίζει επίσης ότι μετά τον τερματισμό των ταραχών τον Ιανουάριο έλαβε πολλές καταγγελίες (για την παραβίαση ανθρώπινων δικαιωμάτων από την αστυνομία) τις οποίες έθεσε υπόψη του υπουργού εσωτερικών Προκόπη Παυλόπουλου.

Η ελληνική κυβέρνηση δε έχει απαντήσει στην έκθεση της Διεθνούς Αμνηστείας.

Ωστόσο, διπλωματικές πηγές υποστηρίζουν ότι η αστυνομία επέδειξε εξαιρετική αυτοσυγκράτηση, αν λάβει κανείς υπόψη τις περιστάσεις.

Skai.gr

To ίντερνετ ρίχνει κυβερνήσεις - the internet topples governments

Photo by Oliristinn

Η πρωθυπουργός της Ισλανδίας ζήτησε από τους διοικητές των τριών μεγαλύτερων τραπεζών της χώρας να παραιτηθούν, προσπαθώντας να αποκαταστήσει στην εμπιστοσύνη στο τρωθέν σύστημα της χώρας.

H νέα πρωθυπουργός ανέλαβε την εξουσία υποσχόμενος να αντιμετωπίσει την χρηματοπιστωτική κρίση που έπληξε τη χώρα, και έριξε την προηγούμενη κυβέρνηση, η οποία υπέστη και ιντερνετικό πόλεμο.

To ξημέρωμα στην Ισλανδία, η ατμόσφαιρα είναι παγωμένη και το σκοτάδι δεν δίνει σιγά σιγά τη θέση του στο φως της ημέρας.

Είναι η ώρα που που οι Ισλανδοί κολυμπούν στα νερά των ιαματικών γεωθερμικών λουτρών.

Μετά το πρωινό κολύμπι απολαμβάνουν τη ραστώνη, και συζητούν για τραπεζίτες και πολιτικούς.

“Έπρεπε να είναι όλοι στη φυλακή, πολλοί άνθρωποι χάνουν τις δουλειές τους, η κρίση είναι μεγάλη, είναι εγκληματίες και κλέφτες”, σχολιάζουν οι πολίτες.

Το σάϊτ Iceland Weather Report, είναι ένα από τα δημοφιλέστερα στη χώρα. Εκεί εκφράζεται ο ωμός θυμός πολλών Ισλανδών.

Οι πολιτικοί προσποιούνται ότι ο διαδικτυακός αυτός τόπος δεν υπάρχει, όμως το 90% των Ισλανδών κάνουν χρήση του διαδικτύου, και εξέφρασαν τις απόψεις τους.

"Μας δίνεται η αίσθηση μιας σιωπηλής επανάστασης, ο κόσμος ζητά ριζικές αλλαγές, οι επιφανειακές διακοσμητικές αλλαγές δεν είναι αρκετές, δεν φτάνει μόνον ένας κυβερνητικός ανασχηματισμός", επισημαίνει η Άλντα Σίγκμουντοτιρ, υπεύθυνη του διαδικτυακού τόπου Iceland Weather Report.

Οι μπλόγκερς υποστήριξαν τις διαδηλώσεις που έγιναν έξω από το κοινοβούλιο της Ισλανδίας, οι πολίτες δεν ικανοποιήθηκαν από την ανατροπή της κυβέρνησης, θεωρούν όλους τους πολιτικούς διεφθαρμένους, και ζητούν νέα πρόσωπα στην κυβέρνηση.

Οι διαμαρτυρίες διαπέρασαν και υπερκέρασαν τις παραδοσιακές πολιτικές δομές, ο αυθόρμητος πολιτικός θυμός των ανθρώπων εξελίχθηκε σε κίνημα που ανέτρεψε την κυβέρνηση, κάτι που οι πολιτικοί απέτυχαν να προβλέψουν.

Χιλιάδες πολίτες μέσω των ίντερνετ καφέ και τις μπλογκόσφαιρας δημοσιοποιούν τις απόψεις τους και την αγανάκτηση τους.

"Οι πολίτες μάθαιναν τα νέα και τις εξελίξεις από άλλους πολίτες, κανείς δεν εμπιστευόταν τις επίσημες πηγές πληροφόρησης, οι πολιτικοί πρέπει να είναι ταπεινοί και να αφουγκράζονται το λαό", τονίζει ο πολιτικός ακτιβιστής, Στάρι Χόκστον.

Η Ισλανδία επικοινωνεί με ολόκληρο τον κόσμο, μέσω διαδικτύου, μια παλιά αποθήκη για ψάρια στεγάζει την ηλεκτρονική βάσει του μεγαλύτερου διαδικτυακού παιχνιδιού στον κόσμο, με 250,000 παίκτες παγκοσμίως, που προσπαθούν να κατακτήσουν ένα τεχνητό σύμπαν.

Στον πραγματικό κόσμο οι πολιτικοί προσπαθούν να ελέγξουν το διαδίκτυο, στην περίπτωση όμως της Ισλανδίας, το διαδίκτυο κέρδισε τους πολιτικούς.

From Skai.gr

And see here for the original BBC video report from Iceland

Iceland's new prime minister Johanna Sigurdardottir has asked the country's three central bank governors to resign in an attempt to restore faith in the country's battered financial system.

The previous government was the first in the world to be brought down by the credit crunch, but it may also have been the first casualty of internet politics.

Brian Hanrahan reports from Reykjavik.

Second Greek high school student shot.

According to reports on the Greek Skai channel a second high school student, Kostas Paplomatas has been shot in the Peristeri district of Athens. The teen was hit in the wrist at 11pm Thursday while outside his school according to his father. For more details in Greek click here, and for a Google translation click here.

According to the official police report the attack was probably carried out using an air pistol, however, the student's father said in an interview on Skai Radio that other students had heard two gun shots. Papamatas is currently recovering after being operated on earler today. Doctors have removed a 20mm shell which was given to the police for investigation

Nationwide demonstrations are planned for today in order to protest the death of 15 year old Alexandros Grigropoulos by a police officer in the Exarchia district of central Athens