A small far-right party that unexpectedly entered the Greek parliament last year will not be allowed to nominate candidates for the European Parliament this summer after Greece’s Supreme Court found that it is essentially the reincarnation of the banned neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn.
In a decision issued on Wednesday on which parties can contest the European Parliament elections, the court found that Sparta “used their party as a front for the new party of former Golden Dawn spokesman Ilyas Kasidiaris” . Currently in jail.
The court said Casidiaris was the Spartans’ true leader and “replaced” the Golden Dawn, acting as a front for him to circumvent eligibility restrictions.
The decision was announced just weeks after Greek Supreme Court prosecutors indicted several Spartan MPs on electoral fraud charges, and another court was expected to deliver a ruling that could cost the party its seat in the Greek parliament.
The decision comes as mainstream parties across the 27-nation European Union are increasingly concerned about the apparent growth of far-right movements, some of which have sought inspiration from the success of the Golden Dawn party a decade ago.
EU-wide elections scheduled for June 6-9 will decide more than 700 members of the next European Parliament. Its influence has grown in recent years as the agency blocks legislation and becomes a high-profile forum for debate.
EU elections tend to be a popular barometer of the mood of millions of Europeans and their views of their leaders. Recent polls suggest mainstream conservatives will dominate the new chamber, followed by mainstream social democrats and liberals.
But polls also show an increase in power for far-right and far-right parties, which represent an ideological coalition centered on nativist, anti-immigration and sometimes anti-European views in favor of strong national governments.
Greece’s top court said in a ruling on Wednesday that the Spartans “aim to weaken and extinguish democratic political institutions, in particular through the use of violence or incitement to violence.” The court said it also espoused totalitarian ideologies, paranoia, xenophobia and and crimes against others. human nature.
Sparta’s titular leader, Vasilis Stingas, dismissed the decision and noted that it was not based on a trial. “Because the Supreme Court said so, that’s the word of God?” he said. “As long as there is evidence and witnesses to go to trial, I will accept any decision of the judiciary without complaint. I have no respect for this decision.”
Mr. Casidiaris and other Golden Dawn leaders Found guilty in October 2020 The party rose to prominence during Greece’s economic crisis in 2012 but was subsequently disbanded.
Since then, Kasidiaris, who is serving a 13.5-year prison sentence, campaigned from his prison cell in an attempt to re-enter Greek politics. Last year, the Greek government passed legislation to prevent the Greek National Party founded by Kasidiaris from entering parliament. Banned from the Legislature Political parties whose leaders have been convicted of serious crimes.
Months later, Mr. Casidiaris publicly backed the then-obscure Spartan party, which won 12 seats in the 300-seat parliament, clearing the way for a legal fight on two fronts.
A special court is expected to rule ahead of the European Parliament elections on citizen complaints that Spartans were involved in electoral fraud. If the Spartans lose, their seats will likely be redistributed among other parties, or new elections will be held in Spartan-controlled constituencies.
Separately, Supreme Court prosecutors this month indicted 11 of the 12 MPs elected to parliament under the Spartan flag, as well as Casidiaris. Five of the MPs are no longer affiliated with any political party and the case has not yet gone to trial.
Stingas has not been charged and the Supreme Court said in Wednesday’s ruling that he was little more than a puppet. “The fact is that they were chosen by Ilias Kasidiaris,” the court said on Wednesday, “and not by Vassilis Stingas.”
Nikos Alivizatos, a well-known constitutional expert, was grabbed by the collar and verbally assaulted in 2010 by members and supporters of the Golden Dawn party. He said the court’s reasoning seemed sound, but he also expressed concern about how the law would be interpreted in the future.
“It’s one thing to ban criminals from running,” he said. “Banning his friends and supporters is another matter.”
Martina Steeves Gridnev Reporting from Brussels.
