Human Rights Issues Golden Dawn Increase Warning in Greece

Human Rights First hosted a conference call to talk about the rise of extremist parties in Europe, how Russia contributes to this troubling trend, and why these developments should be particularly worrisome for the United States and U.S. policymakers.

The group also released a report entitled "We're not Nazis, but... The Rise of Hate Parties in Hungary and Greece and Why America Should Care." That report is posted on their website (www.humanrightsfirst.org), along with a press release and a transcript of the conference.

According to HRF, Greece's Golden Dawn and Hungary's Jobbik parties are the most violent, antisemitic, racist, and blatantly fascist of the far-right parties that scored gains in this year's European Parliament elections. They have embedded antisemitic, racist, homophobic rhetoric in mainstream political discourse in their countries and with increasing popular support they're bullying ruling parties to turn their ideas into policy.

Golden Dawn in Greece has sought to impose racial superiority across Greek society; violently attacking doctors and medical clinics, artists, bloggers, teachers, human rights workers, playwrights, LGBT people, and even priests, as well as promoting a well-publicized wave of violence targeting migrants. In Hungary, Jobbik has organized and promoted paramilitary and vigilante activity to terrorize the Roma community.

The European Union, notes HRF, cannot tolerate black holes for justice and rule of law inside its own member states, yet Hungary is sliding away from democracy and Greece is suffering an acute crisis of human rights and rule of law. Meanwhile, it also says that the primary responsibility for protecting the human rights of all persons in their territory lies with the governments of Greece and Hungary, and with their societies.  However, U.S. leadership on human rights means prioritizing these pressing challenges to human rights.

HRF's Sonni Efron mentioned the connection of Russia to far-right parties, in the case of Hungary and Greece, but also across far-right parties in the European Union. One of the recommendations of the report is that the U.S. Intelligence Community should assess the Russian connection to this party financing and otherwise, and as part of its view on Vladimir Putin's strategy to weaken the transatlantic alliance and weaken the European Union.