Golden Dawn popularity in decline following Fyssas murder
The popularity of extremist Golden Dawn has fallen following the fatal stabbing of 34-year-old rapper Pavlos Fyssas by a one of the party’s members on September 17, a new opinion poll shows. The survey was conducted by Alco on behalf of www.newsit.gr during the September 20-23 period.
Golden Dawn garnered 6.8 percent in the Alco poll, compared to 10.8 percent recorded in a previous poll conducted by the company last June. Eighty-one percent of participants believed Golden Dawn was not a democratic party, 69 percent felt it carried Nazi ideology while 74 percent thought that a series of violent incidents that took place across the country in the last few weeks were part of an organized plan.
According to the Alco survey 39 percent of Golden Dawn voters said their ballot choice had been a reaction toward the country’s established political system, while 21 percent stated they considered Golden Dawn a Nazi party and their vote reflected this.
The poll also showed conservative New Democracy leading the pack with 21 percent, followed by SYRIZA which stood at 19.2 percent. Golden Dawn came in third with 6.8 percent, trailed by socialist PASOK with 6 percent, Independent Greeks with 5 percent, the Greek Communist Party (KKE) with 4.9 percent and Democratic Left with 3.6 percent.
