Golden dawn
Greece's Golden Dawn: Firebrand right-wingers accused of being criminals
CNN) -- They raise their arms in a fascist salute, waving flags in a show of fervent national pride. It is a scene reminiscent of Nazi Germany but this is the Golden Dawn party faithful, and they're in a far more modern setting: Greece, the cradle of democracy.
Golden Dawn's firebrand leader, Nikos Michaloliakos, captured the fury of an exhausted constituency and won his party 7% of the vote in the last Greek elections.
Now, just over a year later, he is in jail after being accused of running a criminal organization following the violent death of a left-wing hip-hop artist.
Golden Dawn's emergence as a political force was in part a reaction against the political duopoly that had ruled Greece for decades. But other factors, similar to those which have fed the rise of other right-wing movements, played into Golden Dawn's success.
Greece, the weakest member of the eurozone, has suffered harsh austerity measures, a grinding recession and unemployment levels which are now near 30%. It is also the favored gateway for illegal immigrants into Europe, given its long coastlines and geographical position. Sunset for Greece's Golden Dawn?
Golden Dawn, which campaigns on the creation of a nationalist state and has a logo echoing the swastika, found itself a niche. Golden Dawn leaders in court in Greece
It had tapped into the fear of a country overwhelmed by financial crisis and unable to cope with the flood of immigrants across its borders. Far-right Greek politicians arrested
In the space of three years, Golden Dawn went from a fringe party, polling at just 0.3%, to one which won 18 of the Greek parliament's 300 seats. Its support then soared into double digits, allowing it to claim the title of Greece's third biggest political player.
Golden Dawn, along with the left-wing coalition Syriza, had disrupted the country's cosy political landscape, where power had been traded between the
CNN) -- They raise their arms in a fascist salute, waving flags in a show of fervent national pride. It is a scene reminiscent of Nazi Germany but this is the Golden Dawn party faithful, and they're in a far more modern setting: Greece, the cradle of democracy.
Golden Dawn's firebrand leader, Nikos Michaloliakos, captured the fury of an exhausted constituency and won his party 7% of the vote in the last Greek elections.
Now, just over a year later, he is in jail after being accused of running a criminal organization following the violent death of a left-wing hip-hop artist.
Golden Dawn's emergence as a political force was in part a reaction against the political duopoly that had ruled Greece for decades. But other factors, similar to those which have fed the rise of other right-wing movements, played into Golden Dawn's success.
Greece, the weakest member of the eurozone, has suffered harsh austerity measures, a grinding recession and unemployment levels which are now near 30%. It is also the favored gateway for illegal immigrants into Europe, given its long coastlines and geographical position. Sunset for Greece's Golden Dawn?
Golden Dawn, which campaigns on the creation of a nationalist state and has a logo echoing the swastika, found itself a niche. Golden Dawn leaders in court in Greece
It had tapped into the fear of a country overwhelmed by financial crisis and unable to cope with the flood of immigrants across its borders. Far-right Greek politicians arrested
In the space of three years, Golden Dawn went from a fringe party, polling at just 0.3%, to one which won 18 of the Greek parliament's 300 seats. Its support then soared into double digits, allowing it to claim the title of Greece's third biggest political player.
Golden Dawn, along with the left-wing coalition Syriza, had disrupted the country's cosy political landscape, where power had been traded between the