Greek Parliament Suspends Golden Dawn's State Funding

The Greek Parliament approved early Wednesday, an amendment that suspends state funding to any party linked with violence. With 235 votes in favor out of 269 MP’s present during the roll call vote, which started shortly before midnight, the assembly passed the bill that suspends state funding to neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party.

Last week Greek Parliament lifted the immunity of six MP’s of Golden Dawn, paving the way for their prosecution, and in combination with the bill that passed early today, the far-right party is in a really difficult situation.

As was expected, the parliamentary groups that voted in favor of the amendment were: New Democracy, PASOK, SYRIZA and Democratic Left as well as independent MP’s Adreas Loverdos, Christos Aidonis, Odisseas Voudouris, Theodoros Parastratidis and Mimis Androulakis. The MP’s of Greek Communist Party(ΚΚΕ), Independent Greeks party, and two other independent MP’s vote “present.” Golden Dawn’s MP’s left the Parliament’s chamber shortly before the procedure started.

The differentiation of SYRIZA’s MP Zoi Konstantopoulou from the common stance of her party by voting “present” took many by surprise, as many expected that Panayiotis Lafazanis will not vote for the bill. As he explained in an announcement  later on, he voted in favor of the bill in order to show that there is no problem behind the scenes with SYRIZA. Lafazanis had already expressed his opinion by stressing the amendment of 187 article A, an ammendment that suspends the state aid to any party linked with violence. It could also be used in the future against political parties that support social struggles, and equalize the action of Golden Dawn with the demands of the suppressed citizens by the strict fiscal policy that Greek government and Troika impose. This danger has already been underlined by the Greek Communist Party and the reason its parliamentary group voted “present” in the procedure.