Ilias Kasidiaris number 2 in the hierarchy of far-right and neo-Nazi Golden Dawn has turned his back to the party leader Nikos Michaloliakos. He announced on Thursday that he will establish his own party with the participation of “prominent and serious people.”
He justified his decision to leave GD saying that his proposal to the leadership for complete reorganization and renewal was not accepted and discussions led to complete disagreement.
The slogan of the party he plans to established is “Greece belongs to Greeks,” he said.
Kasidiaris is the second GD top official leaving the party.
GD did not manage to enter the Parliament in the July 2019 elections as several high-ranking members were on trial on suspicion of forming a criminal organization, including attacks against migrants. A party member has been accused of the murder of leftist-rapper Pavlos Fyssas in 2013.
The trial began on 20 April 2015 and is ongoing in 2020..
A 2020 survey showed the party’s popularity plummeting to just 1.5%, down from 2.9% in the elections of 2019.
In a video about his new party, Kasidiaris attacked almost everyone, the government and the prime Minister as well as main opposition left-wing SYRIZA and the leader of nationalist Elliniki Lysi.
