Neo-Nazi Ilias Kasidiaris has had a major influence on the Greek parliamentary elections while in prison. The right-wing extremist party Spartiaten (Spartans) made it into parliament as the fifth strongest party with 4.6 percent – although they were completely unknown before that.
The reason for this was an election call from Kasidiaris to his supporters, Greek media reported on Monday. The leader of the Spartiates, Vassilis Stigas, gave thanks on the night of the election: “The support of Ilias Kasidiaris was the fuel for the election results,” he told journalists.
Kasidiaris had previously failed several times in court with the request to be a candidate in the elections himself. He was a member of the leadership of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, which was represented in parliament for many years before the entire leadership was convicted of forming a criminal organization and other crimes and has been in prison ever since.
Right-wing supporters followed suit
Before the elections, Kasidiaris would have announced through his lawyer that he would give his full support to the Spartiate party, Kathimerini daily reported. His followers heeded this call.
The conservative party Nea Dimokratia won the election with 40.6 percent of the vote. Because the strongest party will receive at least 20 extra seats in the 300-member parliament in these elections, the Conservatives can form the future government with a majority of around 160 seats, according to electoral law.
The left-wing party Syriza led by Alexis Tsipras came in second with 17.8 percent. The social democrats (Pasok) came in at 11.9 percent and the communist party KKE at 7.7 percent. The ultra-Orthodox party Niki (3.7 percent) and the left-wing party Plefsi Eleftherias with 3.2 percent also managed to jump over the three percent mark.
Source: Krone
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