Before heading to the United States on Sept. 28, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said in the wake of the roundup of members of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party – including its leader, spokesmen and lawmakers – that the legal system would take care of extremism and Greeks had no worry about turmoil.
“Justice, stability and no elections” he told reporters on his way out of his office, referring to the arrests as well as the previous threat by Golden Dawn it would withdraw its 18 Members of Parliament and try to force new national elections. Samaras said that wouldn’t happen and a government spokesman earlier said that even if Golden Dawn left that the only elections that would be held would be to find replacements for them.
Samaras spoke after his extraordinary meeting with Justice Minister Charalmbos Athanasiou and Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias at the Maximos Mansion, during which he got up to date with developments in the Golden Dawn roundup of its top officials who are being charged with operating a criminal gang, being responsible for two murders, a murder attempt and several other criminal offenses.
Satisfaction was obvious on Samaras’ face as he shook hands with Dendias and Athanasiou as they exited the Prime Minister’s office. Samaras had tolerated Golden Dawn’s rampage of violence against immigrants, Communists, and leftists until one of its members was charged with the killing of an anti-fascist after a taverna argument.
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