In Greek elections, voters reject pro-bailout parties

[Dale_M]

Greeks went to the polls Sunday to cast away a decades-old political order, dealing a major defeat to backers of an international bailout that has brought crushing austerity to the country.

A cacophony of new voices will have their say in Parliament after a majority of Greeks rejected the two pro-bailout political parties that have dominated the country’s government since the fall of the dictatorship almost 40 years ago, according to an exit poll released after voting stations closed. A weak coalition government between the remnants of those major parties may be the result, analysts say, but its flexibility — and legitimacy — to push further painful austerity measures on the Greek people is likely to be tightly constrained.

The future of the $171 billion bailout, approved in February, is now further in doubt. If the Greek government fails to live up to promised plans to collect more taxes, drastically cut the size of the public sector and institute further cuts to services, the European Union and International Monetary Fund could pull the plug altogether.

That would likely cast Greece into bankruptcy and would put other European governments on the hook for the billions each has loaned the troubled country through the bailouts.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...45T_story.html

A neo-Nazi political party will send 19 deputies to sit in the 300 seat parliament

Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn warned rivals and reformers Sunday that "the time for fear has come" after exit polls showed them securing their entry in parliament for the first time in nearly 40 years.

"The time for fear has come for those who betrayed this homeland," Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos told a news conference at an Athens hotel, flanked by menacing shaven-headed young men.

Michaloliakos said his party would fight against "world usurers" and the "slavery" of an EU-IMF loan agreement which he likened to a "dictatorship".

"Greece is only the beginning," he shouted at reporters as he walked to the news conference, accusing foreign media of spreading lies about his movement.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/w...s-warn-rivals/

[Vouthon]

Greece has Proportional Representation...PR voting system, financial crisis, austerity measures make Europeans turn to Socialism (Communism) and Fascism because they oppose austerity and give freebies....Neo-Nazis make wift rise in Greece, Hungary veering on edge of authoritarian regime, Vladimir Putin in Russia sees himself as a new Stalin...History really does eeirily repeat itself doesn't it?

A dictatorship in Iran that is becoming ever more dangerous in its quest for nuclear weapons and in its repression of religious minorities....Egypt dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, repression of Coptic Christians...the Arab Spring turning into the Arab nightmare....China as ever on the rise to superpower status....North Korea....Syria still in turmoil...Argentina squabbling with UK again over the Falklands....European Union looks close to breaking apart....

We live in interesting times and as the old Chinese curse goes, "May you live in interesting times"...interesting times historically speaking are always the worst to live in....

[Dale_M]

Originally Posted by Vouthon

Neo-Nazis make wift rise in Greece.

Prior to this election, the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party had virtually no public support. Their rise to prominence may be the most astounding result of the election. The leader of the party is known to publicly make the Hitler salute, their youth wing organizes White Power concerts, their emblem resembles a swastika. And their campaign slogan was "Let's rid this country of the stench", a reference to immigrants.

But the anti-bailout agenda of the next parliament is also of concern.

Greece election: EU and Germany firm on Athens bailout

Speaking to reporters on Monday, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert spelt out Berlin's position that "the agreed programmes must be adhered to". He added that Germany would support Athens in returning to competitiveness and financial stability, "whatever its government is".

That message was underlined by European Commission spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, who said Brussels "hopes and expects that the future government of Greece will respect the engagement that Greece has entered into".

Any political instability in Greece may prompt fresh questions over the country's place in the eurozone.

News of the Greek vote and the election of Francois Hollande as France's next president sent the euro falling to its lowest level against the dollar since January. Shares on the Athens stock market tumbled, with the Athex index sliding more than 7% in morning trading.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17975370

[_Abyssinia]

Big mistake to allow neo Nazis in the Greek parliament. They come from the 'Golden dawn' party. Creepy name.

[Brendan]

Originally Posted by _Abyssinia

Big mistake to allow neo Nazis in the Greek parliament. They come from the 'Golden dawn' party. Creepy name.

That is what a populace can expect when it uses a Proportional Representation type system. It will draw in radicals from both ends of the spectum. Those radicals would be unable to win in a district type system.

[Michael C]

Originally Posted by Dale_M

A neo-Nazi political party will send 19 deputies to sit in the 300 seat parliament

I have to admit I know nothing about the party in Greece. The fact that they oppose the establishment parties and the bailouts and are called Neo-nazis makes me hesitant to condemn them.

It seems anyone that opposes the status quo is called racist or neo nazi by the MSM.

I may be wrong but my first instinct is to not believe the press. I also notice that there is not much mention about the fact that the new leader in Greece (..and Italy) are former Goldman Sachs employees.

[Vouthon]

Michael brother with all due respect The Golden Dawn are quite different. They believe that Greece should model itself on Ancient Sparta and purify the race of foreign blood. Its leader does Hitler salutes and the members wear black shirts. They have gangs of black shirted thugs that go through the streets at night with torches and brutally attack people eho are foreign or not white. They totally believe in Aryan racial theory. They are ACTUAL neo-Nazis

[Michael C]

Originally Posted by Vouthon

Michael brother with all due respect The Golden Dawn are quite different. They believe that Greece should model itself on Ancient Sparta and purify the race of foreign blood. Its leader does Hitler salutes and the members wear black shirts. They have gangs of black shirted thugs that go through the streets at night with torches and brutally attack people eho are foreign or not white. They totally believe in Aryan racial theory. They are ACTUAL neo-Nazis

If it's true then I oppose them. I was just expressing my instinct to not believe headlines.

[Rolltide]

Originally Posted by Vouthon

Michael brother with all due respect The Golden Dawn are quite different. They believe that Greece should model itself on Ancient Sparta and purify the race of foreign blood. Its leader does Hitler salutes and the members wear black shirts. They have gangs of black shirted thugs that go through the streets at night with torches and brutally attack people eho are foreign or not white. They totally believe in Aryan racial theory. They are ACTUAL neo-Nazis

They've already started talking about expelling all Turks from the country and mining the border with Turkey.

[Kaninchen]

In dire circumstances, seven percent of Greeks voted Neo-Nazi while eight percent voted Communist. This is hardly something to get overly excited about.

[Vouthon]

Originally Posted by Kaninchen

In dire circumstances, seven percent of Greeks voted Neo-Nazi while eight percent voted Communist. This is hardly something to get overly excited about.

I agree to an extent, however.......

19 Nazis in the Greek Parliament are still 19 Nazis in the Greek Parliament

They have gained a foothold in Greek politics.

I just cannot believe that in this day and age Nazism can still make a political comeback and exert influence now in a country of the EU.

It is an astounding surge in support for what was a party with absolutely no clout prior to this election. And they are a Nazi party

I actually read something of theirs once, in Modern studies back in school when the class was looking into far right extremist parties, and in it they stated that they wanted a return to Spartan ethics. They idolize Leonidas and the Spartan warrior system.

And one of their main aims is to send every immigrant in the country to A WORK CAMP.

They want to construct Labour Camps and send immigrants and Turkish residents in Greece to them....

Not the kind of people one wants in a parliament.

[Kaninchen]

Originally Posted by Vouthon

I agree to an extent, however.......

19 Nazis in the Greek Parliament are still 19 Nazis in the Greek Parliament

I just cannot believe that in this day and age Nazism can still make a political comeback and exert influence now in a country of the EU.

It is an astounding surge in support for what was a party with absolutely no clout prior to this election. And they are a Nazi party

I actually read something of theirs once, in Modern studies back in school when the class was looking into far right extremist parties, and in it they stated that they wanted a return to Spartan ethics. They idolize Leonidas and the Spartan warrior system.

Not the kind of people one wants in a parliament.

Hm, look, I'm Jewish and can get cross about Neo-Nazis as easily, if not more easily, as anybody else but I'd be surprised if there were a country anywhere where less than, say, ten percent of the population are bonkers enough to vote for crank parties.

The reason for their lack of success in countries like the UK and US is that the voting system grinds them down.

[Vouthon]

Originally Posted by Kaninchen

Hm, look, I'm Jewish and can get cross about Neo-Nazis as easily, if not more easily, as anybody else but I'd be surprised if there were a country anywhere where less than, say, ten percent of the population are bonkers enough to vote for crank parties.

The reason for their lack of success in countries like the UK and US is that the voting system grinds them down.

I do agree sister Kanichen. I am by no means suggesting that the good people of Greece are Nazis, that has not been my contention at all. I am not blaming the people, or anyone, I am simly concerned that Nazis have managed to enter the Greek parliament.

I personally consider PR to be the main catalyst in aiding the rise of Far Right and Far Left parties in addition to economic downturns.

It just worries me since all it takes sometimes to exert even some significant influence is a foothold and courtesy of the voting system in Greece, they have that.

[scipio337]

Originally Posted by Vouthon

Michael brother with all due respect The Golden Dawn are quite different. They believe that Greece should model itself on Ancient Sparta...

That may already be in the works. In Ancient Sparta, the Σπαρτιάται were banned from handling or using money. That probably included the Deutsche Mark and Euro.

[Kaninchen]

Originally Posted by Vouthon

I personally consider PR to be the main catalyst in aiding the rise of Far Right and Far Left parties in addition to economic downturns.

Some of us might think that the tendency to politics being about PR rather than politics is really to blame.