The new, old far-right wave
In September 2013, following the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas, the Greek authorities launched a crackdown on the leadership of Golden Dawn. A person who is now 17 years old and has just voted for the first time in the May and June elections was only 7 back then. Due to their young age, they had not been exposed to the racist, xenophobic and fascist ideas of Golden Dawn, nor the criminal activities associated with the group. They had no memories of the actions and events involving the neo-Nazi party, and they had not been exposed to violent images or bigoted rhetoric. It is unlikely that these matters were extensively discussed at home or in their school, let alone in the years that followed.
Today, this 17-year-old avidly follows social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, and it seems they have been influenced by accounts that portray former Golden Dawn MP Ilias Kasidiaris as a truth-seeker imprisoned for challenging a system that seeks to silence him. Kasidiaris’ image as a “political prisoner” has been meticulously and skillfully constructed, using a language that resonates with and easily captivates young people: the language of social media. Consequently, as soon as Kasidiaris signaled his endorsement of the Spartiates (Spartans) party, they responded.
The silent digital wave, which went unnoticed before the elections, propelled the Spartans to secure a 9.2% share of voters aged 17 to 34, positioning them as the fifth political force nationwide and the fourth in the 17-24 age group.
Vasiliki Georgiadou, a political science professor at Panteion University, recently argued that there exists a segment of the electorate with a diminished sense of democracy
The resurgence of far-right influences in Greece has become evident once again, with three far-right parties entering Parliament and gaining the trust of 12.77% of voters. One might wonder if far-right influences ever truly vanished. In an insightful analysis in Kathimerini, Vasiliki Georgiadou, a political science professor at Panteion University, recently argued that there exists a segment of the electorate with a diminished sense of democracy. Although not significant in size, this segment cannot be overlooked. Georgiadou also highlighted that in the 2019 national elections, despite widespread awareness of Golden Dawn’s crimes, the party came dangerously close to re-entering Parliament, receiving 2.9% of the vote. Therefore, there is a consistent electoral “base” that managed to attract new voters in these elections.
What lies ahead? Undoubtedly, new tools are necessary to comprehend this new surge of far-right sentiment and understand why a significant percentage of voters want such representation in Parliament. The present circumstances differ greatly from the severe financial crisis experienced in previous years, as unemployment rates have significantly declined and anti-immigrant sentiment has eased.
Answers are sought as to why the extreme, anti-democratic and racist discourse continues to resonate with a portion of society.
