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Spartans (Greek political party)

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Spartans
Σπαρτιάτες
PresidentVasilis Stigkas
SpokespersonCharalambos Katsivardas
Demos Kyrilidis
FounderVasilis Stigkas
Founded5 December 2017 (2017-12-05)
Split fromRadical National Rally [el]
IdeologyUltranationalism
Ultraconservatism
Euroscepticism
Political positionFar-right
ReligionGreek Orthodox Church
Colors  Gold
  Red
  Black
Hellenic Parliament
12 / 300
European Parliament
0 / 21
Website
spartiates.gr

Spartans (Greek: Σπαρτιάτες, romanized: Spartiátes) is a far-right political party in Greece, founded in 2017 by Vasilis Stigkas.[1] It is often described as far-right or extreme-right due to its strong connections with Golden Dawn.[2][3][4]

The party gained significant traction in national polls in mid-June, following an endorsement on Twitter by Ilias Kasidiaris,[5] a former Golden Dawn MP and neo-Nazi politician who had been convicted in the trial declaring Golden Dawn a criminal organisation. Kasidiaris urged his supporters to vote for Spartans in the June 2023 election. Given that many of its members of parliament have previously been associated with either Golden Dawn or Kasidiaris' party, Hellenes, which was banned from participating in the 2023 elections, Spartans has been seen as a continuation of Golden Dawn.[6] Some sources have even labelled it as Kasidiaris' "trojan horse".[7][2]

History

In the late 1980s, Vasilis Stigkas first joined New Democracy for a few years at the time when Konstantinos Mitstotakis was Prime Minister. Unsatisfied with the party, he followed then Foreign Minister Antonis Samaras into his new Political Spring party, after the latter was dismissed from his position over his stance on the Macedonia naming dispute.[8]

In the early 2000s, Stigkas joined the LAOS party of Georgios Karatzaferis. He left after the party's support for the memorandum in 2012 while it participated in the coalition government of Lucas Papademos.[8]

He created the Spartans party in 2017, while participating in political programs on the YouTube channel of Konstantinos Plevris and Tasos Simigdalas. During that time, he interviewed different political personalities such as leftist Panagiotis Lafazanis,[9] centrist Vasilis Leventis[10] and Golden Dawner Ioannis Lagos.[11] After 2019 Stigkas hosted a weekly show supporting the neo-Nazi party National Popular Consciousness.

For the European parliamentary election of May 2019, an electoral alliance was announced with the party Union of Centrists of Vasilis Leventis.[12] Stigkas received 752 votes nationwide.[13] In the national legislative elections of 2019, Stigkas participated once more on the Boeotia ballot list of the Union of Centrists,[14] receiving 35 votes.[15]

In December 2020, the formation of a coalition was announced by ELASYN, the Popular Hellenic Patriotic Union (LEPEN), the "Spartans" party, the United Front of Greek Ideology of Compatriots (EMEIS) and the Front Line, with the prospect of a joint electoral descent with the name K.Y.M.A of Hellenism.[16] In February 2021, the coalition announced the collaboration of the formation with the retired captain and chief of the Popular Citizens Movement (LAKIP) Andreas Petropoulos.

On 8 June 2023, the party Spartans was allowed to participate in the upcoming legislative elections of June 2023 by the Supreme Court of Greece. Following the exclusion of the far-right National Party – Greeks of Ilias Kasidiaris from both the May and June 2023 elections, Kasidiaris announced his "full support" for the party of Stigkas.[17][18]

Ideology

The party is considered nationalist and conservative, positioned on the far-right of the political spectrum.[19] While some sources place its rhetoric as “ultranationalist” and “ultraconservative”, the party describes itself as a supporter of the “popular patriotic right”, of the triptych “homeland–religion–family” and of the “sane Greek nationalism”.[19][20]

According to “Spartans” the traditions of Hellenism are currently missing from public life and the party is self-described as “the iron arm and the real bulwark that will put an end at the decline and the sell-out of Greece and the Greek citizens”.

A large part of the press dealing with the far-right believes that Kasidiaris' support for the Spartans was not a coincidence. At least 10 members and politicians of the National Party – Greeks, including one of Kasidiaris' lawyers, are on the Spartans' ballot lists.[21] Stigkas had openly supported the National Popular Consciousness of convicted neo-Nazi Giannis Lagos,[22] and later turned out to be a member of the National Party – Greeks. In May 2023 Greek legislative election, Spartans did not participate and were not involved in the discussion of the possible parties that Ilias Kasidiaris would support. After the second ban from the elections by the Supreme Court, Kasidiaris and members of his party openly support Spartans, so it is considered likely that Spartans will also be used by Kasidiaris for indirect representation in Parliament.[23][24] In his first public statement after the election, Stigkas openly thanked Kasidiaris for "[being] the fuel that has propelled us to [entering parliament]".[25]

Electoral results

Hellenic Parliament

Election Hellenic Parliament Rank Government Leader
Votes % ±pp Seats won +/−
Jun 2023 241,633 4.44% New
12 / 300
 New 5th Opposition Vasilis Stigkas

European Parliament

Election Votes Seats
# % Rank # ±
2019 82,075
(with Union of Centrists) 		1.45 10th
0 / 21
 new

References

  1. ^ "Ιδρυτική Διακήρυξη".
  2. ^ a b "In the most recent election, Greek far right made a sinister comeback". euronews. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  3. ^ Smith, Helena (26 June 2023). "Greek voters propel new far-right Spartans group into parliament". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Far-right victories in Greece highlight trend across Europe". NBC News. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  5. ^ Kambas, Michele; Maltezou, Renee (29 June 2023). "From behind bars, Greek far-right populist propels ultra-nationalists". Reuters. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  6. ^ Fallon, Katy. "'Very worrying': Three far-right parties enter Greek parliament". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Greece: Far right makes resurgence – DW – 06/30/2023". dw.com. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  8. ^ a b Κανέλλης, Βασίλης Σ (8 June 2023). "Σπαρτιάτες: Ακροδεξιός λόγος, σχέσεις με Λαγό και Κασιδιάρη και «ψάρεμα» στα θολά νερά του εθνικισμού". in.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  9. ^ Κρήτης, Αγώνας της (6 November 2018). "Κι όμως, ο Λαφαζάνης στο κανάλι του Πλεύρη | Βίντεο". Αγώνας της Κρήτης. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  10. ^ Βασίλης Λεβέντης με το Βασίλη Στίγκα, 8-3-2019, retrieved 16 June 2023
  11. ^ Εκπομπή ΕΛΑΣΥΝ : Σήμερα στις 23:00 ο Γ. Λαγός καλεσμένος του Β. Στίγκα στο Extra channel, retrieved 16 June 2023
  12. ^ "Στο ευρωψηφοδέλτιο της Ένωσης Κεντρώων θα είναι υποψήφιος ο πρόεδρος της πολιτικής κίνησης "ΣΠΑΡΤΙΑΤΕΣ" κ. Βασίλης Στίγκας". enosi-kentroon.gr.
  13. ^ "Ευρωεκλογές". ekloges-prev.singularlogic.eu (in Greek). May 2019. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  14. ^ "Εκλογές 2023: Οι… περίεργοι συνδυασμοί, οι ανατροπές και οι καραμπόλες στις λίστες των κομμάτων". protothema.gr. 9 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Εθνικές εκλογές". ekloges-prev.singularlogic.eu (in Greek). July 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  16. ^ MM (21 December 2020). ΙΣΧΥΣ ΕΝ ΤΗ ΕΝΩΣΕΙ. ΕΛΑΣΥΝ (in Greek). Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  17. ^ "Εκλογές 2023: Τους «Σπαρτιάτες» στηρίζει ο Κασιδιάρης μετά το νέο «μπλόκο»". ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ (in Greek). 8 June 2023.
  18. ^ "Εκλογές 2023: Τα 32 κόμματα που συμμετέχουν". protothema.gr. 8 June 2023.
  19. ^ a b "Σπαρτιάτες: Το κόμμα της ακροδεξιάς πολυκατοικίας που στηρίζει ο Κασιδιάρης". in.gr (in Greek). 8 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  20. ^ ""Σπαρτιάτες": Αυτό είναι το ακροδεξιό κόμμα που στηρίζει ο Κασιδιάρης - Ο commander of the Spartans και ο... λαγός Νάτσιος". Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  21. ^ Σκουρής, Βασίλης. "Ποιοι είναι οι άνθρωποι του Κασιδιάρη στους «Σπαρτιάτες» – To colpo grosso του έγκλειστου στον Δομοκό". www.ieidiseis.gr.
  22. ^ "Εκπομπή ΕΛΑΣΥΝ : Β. Στίγκας – Γ. Ζωγράφος – Γ. Λουκάκος στο Extra channel" – via www.youtube.com.
  23. ^ "Σπαρτιάτες απ' τον Δομοκό". Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών. 13 June 2023.
  24. ^ "Στα «Νέα Σαββατοκύριακο»: Δούρειος ίππος οι «Σπαρτιάτες»". ΤΑ ΝΕΑ. 17 June 2023.
  25. ^ "Η πρώτη δήλωση του προέδρου των Σπαρτιατών και το «ευχαριστώ» στον Κασιδιάρη". www.naftemporiki.gr (in Greek). 25 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
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