Far-right Golden Dawn makes modest gains

Greece's far right Golden Dawn party was on track on Sunday for its best showing in a general election, but with no sign of a major surge in favor among Greeks infuriated with refugees and European Union interference in their affairs.

The party – many of whose leaders are on trial and which sports an ancient Greek symbol closely resembling a swastika as its emblem – had around 7.2 percent with 38 percent of the vote counted.

That would give it 19 seats in the 300-seat parliament, two more than in the old parliament but less that the 21 it got in May 2012 when it attracted 6.97 percent of the vote.

Surveys during the three-week election campaign before Sunday's vote had pegged the party, accused by opponents of neo-Nazi tendencies, at around 6 or 7 percent.

But pollsters had speculated it might take a larger share than that because of a reluctance among some voters to publicly admit their backing.

It was also thought that Golden Dawn's strong anti-foreigner, anti-immigrant stance would attract support because of Europe's refugee crisis.

[Reuters]