New Democracy's far right wing
- Written by E.Tsiliopoulos
Evangelos Venizelos' reference to “far right pockets,” in New Democracy and his statements about how such phenomena should be inadmissible in the government was an obvious reference to close circles around the Prime Minister. The issue is problematic for PASOK and for many in New Democracy who do not like the idea that government cadres have a “hard right wing agenda.”
There are those within New Democracy that note that the party has foregone center-like ideals for some time now as some more centrist cadres, like Dora Bakoyanni and Dimitris Avramopoulos, note.
The fingers are being pointed at the organization “Network 21” (Diktyo 21) which counts as members some of the Prime Minister's closest associates, and associates in his political endeavors of the “Political Spring” some years ago, after leaving the Mitsotakis government.
The Network counted among its members Chrysanthos Lazaridis, Dionysis Karahalios, Stefanos Agiasoglou, Failos Kranidiotis, and such intellectuals as Kostas Zouraris, the late Neoklis Sarris, Sarantos Kargakos, Angelos Syrigos, and Alexandros Lykourezos.
The aim of “Network 21,” which was active before Mr Samaras undertook the premiership, was to create a “brain pool” among patriotic elements with an obvious national orientation focusing on Greek-Turkish issues, and issues like Cyprus, the Kurds, Thrace, Northern Epirus, FYROM, and Pontian Hellenism.
The general ideological orientation has been to “awaken the patriotism of Greeks and transform them from passive subjects to independent persons, according to the best traditions of Hellenism and the spiritual examples of Christian Orthodoxy.”
“Network 21” might have been sidelined as just another fringe "think tank," but it took off through the Otsalan case, as many spoke of “para-statal” activites.
Them PM Simits, in speaking about the people that had Otsalan to enter the country secretly and illegally had said that they were part of a parallel state and would be dealt with as a parastatal organization.
The judicial adventures of Ocalan's lawyer Failos Kranidiotis with journalists Lionarakis and Vasilakis has been ongoing for years,keeping the network in the public eye.
Ever since, the network has remained “submerged,” but not its cadres as some of them, and their ideas, have taken residence within the heart of New Democracy. During the run up for the succession in the leadership of the party, after the downfall of Kostas Karamanlis, network members supported Antonis Samaras, as some were close to the current Prime Minister.
After his ascendence, Mr Samaras proved that he does not forget his friends. Chief New Democracy official, MP, and close associate of the premier, Chrysanthos Lazaridis is a founding member of the network, while the network's vice president Dionysis Karahalios became head of the party's social relations bureau and member of the board Stelios Agiasoglou became party foreign relations chief.
