SYRIZA Proposes Own Racism Bill

With Greece’s coalition government already split over an anti-racism bill, the major opposition Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) threw a monkey wrench into the works when it withdrew its support and put forward its own version.
That angered the PASOK Socialists and tiny Democratic Left (DIMAR) who are the junior partners in the government ruled by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, the New Democracy Conservative leader, who pulled back on his initial support for the measure.
PASOK and DIMAR said they will proceed to back the bill, which increases penalties for racist attacks and is aimed squarely at the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, which has 18 Members of Parliament, when the legislation goes into the body.
Samaras, who changed his mind about the bill he initially backed, said his party will fight it because he believes there is already enough in the existing laws. SYRIZA said he was backing down from Golden Dawn and the Greek Orthodox Church, which opposes the bill.
Samaras is also in the awkward position of opposing a bill drafted by his own Justice Minister Antonis Roupakiotis, who had the backing of DIMAR last year to fill the post in return for its votes in Parliament. DIMAR and PASOK want tougher penalties for hate crimes but SYRIZA’s move, announced by party leader Alexis Tsipras, has now split proponents for tougher laws, increasing the likelihood nothing will pass.
SYRIZA’s stance prompted sharp responses from DIMAR and PASOK, which accused the leftists of doing New Democracy a favor by undermining the opportunity for consensus. “Just so he can maintain meaningless polarization, Mr. Tsipras becomes a lackey of New Democracy and Mr. Samaras,” said PASOK spokeswoman Fofi Gennimata.
“I call on Mr Tsipras to stop these tricks and to vote for the bill in question,” said DIMAR leader Fotis Kouvelis. With SYRIZA’s support, the measure would have enough to pass Parliament as New Democracy does not have enough votes to stop it, but Tsipras, who said he wants to go after Golden Dawn too, may have scuttled the hopes because of what critics called grandstanding and political posturing.
With the junior coalition partners due to the submit their bill on May 30 and SYRIZA planning to submit its proposal on June 3, New Democracy is reportedly drafting its own provisions to “fill in the gaps” of the existing legislative framework.  The newspaper Kathimerini reported that sources said ND’s proposal will essentially comprise one provision, foreseeing the criminalization of all Nazi crimes, including the massacres at the villages of Kalavryta and Distomo that happened in the 1940’s
The amendment would also criminalize the denial of Nazi crimes, in accordance with a pledge Samaras reportedly made during talks with members of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) in Thessaloniki in March, but not go along with tougher sentences for people who beat immigrants, which critics said Golden Dawn has been doing with impunity. Samaras is also anti-immigrant.
WJC President Ronald Lauder expressed disappointment at the failure of the three parties in Greece’s coalition government to adopt an anti-racism law. “Hatemongers and extremists such as the leaders of Golden Dawn are not only a threat to minorities such as the Jews; they are a threat to democracy as a whole,” he said.