Spiegel gives the example of Greece for dealing with the extreme right

How the popular mobilisations stood in the way of the criminal organisation Golden Dawn - Germans are on the streets against the AfD

The German magazine Spiegel gives the example of Greece and how popular mobilisations overturned the rise of the extreme right. The article mentions the mobilisations in Germany with citizens demonstrating against the far-right AfD, now the most popular party in the country.

"When politics has no answers, the people can defend the Republic," the outlet noted.

In this tribute are examples of various countries where popular mobilisations stopped far-right extremist currents.

"In the years that followed the economic crisis, a party arose in Greece that was as radical as few extreme right factions: Golden Dawn. An aggressive party, ready to resort to violence, determined to take over the streets," wrote the newspaper.

Antonis Ellinas, a political science professor at the University of Cyprus, compared the course of Golden Dawn with his colleague Jason Lambrianou in the 2012, 2015, and 2019 parliamentary elections, where demonstrations against it were held in areas without corresponding actions.

The two researchers also considered the size of the cities' population and that the party was particularly successful in areas with more immigrants but also among young people.

The conclusion of the research is expressed as follows: "Demonstrations can reduce support for far-right parties," as the Greek states.

However, during the first years, the picture was clear: "The protest movements were not well organised nor did they have a wide appeal. They came mainly from the radical Left, but managed to maintain their actions for a long time."

The case of Greece is nevertheless instructive for one more reason. Ultimately, the state probably delivered the decisive blow to Golden Dawn when it brought criminal charges against the party and brought its leaders to justice.

"Greece never considered itself a defence republic - but under the pressure of the street, this changed for the first time and in a radical way," explains the Greek.

"Today, the phenomena of violence have decreased significantly, and the extreme right is fragmented. The political system is now dominated by conservatives – having first separated their positions from the far right," the German magazine concludes.

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