The rising star of Europe’s fascist and neo-Nazi right served seven years after being convicted of leading a criminal organisation and has vowed to bypass a ban on his participation in the next elections.
“I am returning, and I am not alone; with me is a powerful national party, just like those dominating the rest of Europe,” Ilias Kasidiaris said outside Domokos prison in Fthiotida where hundreds of his supporters had gathered.
Recently backed by billionaire businessman Elon Musk, Kasidiaris said that his aim will be to rid the country of the “most corrupt post-junta government in our history”.
The big question is whether he will be able to take part in the next national elections in the spring of 2027, as a law passed by the ruling New Democracy party prohibits groups whose members have been convicted of serious offences from participating.
Moreover, legal rules require that the genuine leadership of a party be scrutinised, meaning that groups serving as a front for a convicted individual can also be blocked.
Analysts claim that Kasidiaris will not be able to run, as the law suggests disqualification is linked to the duration of the sentence imposed, not the time actually served.
Kasidiaris was sentenced to 13 years in prison but served seven because he met early release conditions during his detention.
His lawyer, Vaso Pantazi, said on Tuesday that Kasidiaris’s participation in the next elections is certain. She stated that he will run as an independent alongside other independents, and that discussions have taken place with the conservative Niki party, which is supported by Greece’s Orthodox Church.
If he manages to run, Kasidiaris will likely seek votes from smaller right-wing groups and pose a threat to the new conservative party to be formed by former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
His release comes three days before a theatre performance in the European Parliament regarding the 2013 assassination of anti-fascist Pavlos Fyssas by a Golden Dawn member.
“The performance about the murderous activity of the far-right, Nazi criminal organisation Golden Dawn in Greece coincides with the dramatic rise of the far right in the recent elections in Germany, as well as in other European countries,” told Euractiv socialist MEP Nikolas Farantouris.
