Small Euroskeptic, far-right Greek Solution party may squeeze into Euro Parliament
According to first wave exit polls published in Greece on Sunday evening, a Euroskeptic political newcomer may pass the 3 percent legal threshold needed to secure a place in European Parliament. The far-right, pro-Russian, Christian nationalist party Greek Solution (Elliniki Lisi) is projected to gain between 2.5 and 4.5 percent of the total vote, most likely squeezing into the next assembly with one seat.
The party was founded on June 28, 2016, by Kyriakos Velopoulos, a journalist and former MP of the nationalist populist Popular Orthodox Rally party. According to the party’s official website, it seeks to establish stronger relations with Russia, it is strongly opposed to the use of the word “Macedonia” in the name of the neighboring Republic of North Macedonia, and seeks to revive Greece’s heavy industry and reorient the educational system with an emphasis on nationalism and Orthodoxy.
In 2017, the party was close to recruiting Nikos Michos, an independent MP who was formerly affiliated with neo-fascist Golden Dawn. Michos eventually decided to not join Greek Solution, accusing Velopoulos of being unable to “distinguish politics from business.”
At the same time, Golden Dawn suffered a significant fall in polls, dropping down to 4.5 percent and falling to fifth place. In 2014, the neo-fascist party caught Europe by surprise when it grabbed 9.5 percent of the total vote and secured three seats in the parliament. Despite its voter base shrinking, Golden Dawn remained relatively popular with young Greeks, capturing as much as 11 percent of the votes of citizens between 14 and 24 years old in the country.
