The Greek Neo-Nazi Party “Golden Dawn” and the Representations of the Greek-German Past

by Yannis Antonopoulos (Panteion University, Athens)

Τhe electoral success of the Golden Dawn Party (in Greek: Chrissi Avgi) in 2012 took place during a period of financial crisis which was characterised by the exacerbation of anti-German feelings in a part of Greek society and the opposition press. An openly expressed neo-Νazi organisation with extremist and marginal actions for more than two decades managed to enter the Greek Parliament ensuring about half a million votes, matching 7% of the voting population. The utilisation and embezzlement of the historical past as it was expressed by a part of the public media did not leave the organisation’s public discourse unswayed. Golden Dawn took advantage of the circumstance in order to be self-promoted as a patriotic political party which participates in the unanimous national struggle for the assertion of the German indemnities and the occupation loan, unleashing vituperative speech against the “German loan sharks” etc. Weiterlesen