In Greece,

A mathematician with Ultra-Nationalist with Neo-Nazi and Neo-Eurasianist compulsion, Nikolaos “Nikos” Michaloliakos founded the far-right Golden Dawn party on January 1, 1980

Pro-Russian sentiment in Greece led by Nikolaos “Nikos” Michaloliakos of  Golden Dawn, who was in close communication with Russia’s disinformation agent extraordinaire, Aleksandr Dugin as well as Putin’s top advisor, Aleksandr Ntouhgkin via letters while Nikos Michaloliakos sat in his prison cell in 2013 on criminal organization charges following the death of a homosexual rapper/hip hop artist by the name of Pavlos Fyssas (aka Killa P) who held anti-fascism views and who was murdered by Giorgos Roupakias, a member of Golden Dawn. On November 1, 2013, Golden Dawn members, Manolis Kapelonis and Giorgos Fountoulis were shot dead in their Neo Irakleio offices with a third Golden Dawn member wounded. On television after the murder of the Anti-Fascism, rapper/ hip hop artist, Pavlos Fyssas, the Greek Prime Minister, Antonio Samaras, asked for the public to stay calm , assuring them that he will work to deter “the descendants of the Nazis from poisoning our social life, to act criminally, to terrorize and undermine the foundations of the country which gave birth to Democracy.”   In July 2015, Nikos was released from detention despite the fact that the verdict to many was “still out” and that the trial was still in effect in 2017 four years after his initial arrest.  Other members of Golden Dawn, Ilias Kasidiaris (MP), Ilias Panayiotaros, and Nikolaos “Nikos” Michos who were initially accused as accomplices in the murder trial were later freed due to a lack of sufficient evidence for indictment. During this fragile time in Greek politics of corruption, hate speech and austerity measures, protests had erupted onto the streets:  the perfect chaos palette for Vladimir Putin and anyone looking to do artfully dodgy business in Greece after its economic collapse blamed on Liberals. It is important to note that four years after the death of Pavlos Fyssas (aka Killa P) , Golden Dawn still “holds 17 seats in Greece’s Parliament” according to Patrick Strickland of Al Jazeera.[i]

The Greek public and mainstream political establishment denouncement of their Nazi sympathizer ways has not weakened Golden Dawn in the eyes of their early supporters- it may even have emboldened them. Feb 11, 2018, The Moscow Times sports the headline, “Greek Election Wins Putin a Friend in Europe” and opens with commentary on Syriza (aka Coalition of the Radical Left) winning an election with a little over 36% of the vote. Greece’s Radical Left party had decided to not interfere Russian geopolitical objectives given Greece’s financial situation. ( https://themoscowtimes.com/news/greek-election-wins-putin-a-friend-in-europe-43249 )

In Greece’s President Syriza, Russia found the European support it had been aiming for: Social Conservativism based on Orthodox Christian leanings and a shared natural understanding of the historical weight of Communism as well as mounting concerns with Germany’s acceptance of a multicultural society. Prior to Syriza, Far Right Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, had met with Putin in an attempt to fix the financial situation of Greece while helping Russia attain European support against US sanctions despite the fact that Russia was in a recession with sluggish oil prices as well. The Minister of Foreign affairs under Greek Prime Minister, Tsipras, Nikos Kotzias (a former Communist and good friend of Aleksandr Dugin ) also tried to alleviate Western sanctions against Russia. This was Russia’s attempt of a political showmanship within the EU and nothing more while Greece was posturing a loose cannon poker faced bluff of separating itself from the EU so the EU would be frightened enough to bail them out instead of Russia doing so.  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/02/tsipras-moscow-risks-putin-useful-idiot)

In Foreign Policy objectives, Russia has a history of grooming both the far left and the far right; The polar opposites travel in a 360-degree path and touch one another- Such is the making of a masterful geopolitical manipulator.

( http://www.newsweek.com/2015/02/27/kremlins-campaign-make-friends-307158.html )

PANOS KAMMENOS

Panos Kammenos was the Minister of National Defence for Greece. Kammenos was a founding member of the right-wing party, Independent Greeks, noted for its Eurosceptic policies.

Kammenos and Filippos Tsalidis, a professor of University of Thrace, created the Institute of Geopolitical Studies.

In Greece, you have Panos Kammenos who was invited to Russia by Konstantin Malofeyev to participate in a wedding. But the marriage that mattered wasn’t of the bride and groom at the event, but the relationship between another far-right nationalist with an agenda driven by the Kremlin.[ii]

ALLIANCE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM MEMBER
Artemios Matthiaopoulos – Deputy Chairman
Greece – XA – Golden Dawn

[i] Patrick Strickland, Al Jazeera, “Greece mourns slain anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas”, September 15, 2017, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/09/greece-mourns-slain-anti-fascist-rapper-pavlos-fyssas-170911080142110.html?xif=.

[ii] James Marson, Wall Street Journal, “Deepening Ties Between Greece and Russia Sow Concerns in West”, February 13, 2015, https://www.wsj.com/articles/deepening-ties-between-greece-and-russia-sow-concerns-in-west-1423870358