Far-right assaults focus of secret police document
As a new report by Europol marks a worrying increase in the activities of far-right organizations in several European countries, a confidential Greek police document seen by Kathimerini highlights the need for a “re-evaluation of security needs” following a spike in assaults attributed to ultra-right organizations in Greece.
The police document refers to “commando-style” assaults by members of far-right organizations against immigrants, noting that 84 such attacks were recorded last year. Of the 84 assaults, nine were linked directly to the ultra-right party Golden Dawn, which entered Parliament last summer after campaigning on a staunch anti-immigrant platform and currently ranks third in opinion polls.
The document notes that far-right groups and parties have thrived due to a growing sense of insecurity among many Greeks due to a burgeoning population of immigrants, a fear of “the erosion of the nation’s cultural characteristics” and an alarming rise in unemployment.
Such groups “walk a fine line between constitutional order and the principles and values of a democratic society,” the document notes.
The observations in the police review came as Europol issued a report highlighting an intensification of activities by far-right organizations in several European countries as well as cross-border cooperations that are apparently aimed at creating an “anti-Islamic” front within the EU.
