ATHENS — Ilias Kasidiaris, a former prominent figure in Greece's neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, walked out of Domokos prison in central Greece on Monday after serving only part of a 13-year sentence for his role in the criminal organization. Within hours, he declared his intention to re-enter the political arena, promising to establish a new movement.
Dozens of supporters, some waving Greek flags, gathered outside the prison to greet him, chanting “Ilias, we are with you.” Addressing the crowd, Kasidiaris said: “I had given you my word that as soon as I passed through this gate I would return to the front line of the national struggle. I see that I am not alone, but that alongside me stands a major national party, like those that dominate in Europe.”
He also attacked the current Greek government, calling it “the most corrupt of the post-junta era,” and dismissed attempts to block his return to parliament, asserting that “in a democracy there is only one judge, the sovereign Greek people.”
A violent past and a political resurgence
Kasidiaris, who served as Golden Dawn’s press spokesman and later as an MP from 2012 to 2019, was convicted in 2020 as a leading member of a criminal organization linked to years of violent attacks on migrants and political opponents, as well as the 2013 murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas. His release has reignited debates about the resilience of far-right networks in Greece and across Europe.
His political career has been marked by aggression. In 2012, he slapped a Communist Party MP live on television and threw water at another lawmaker. He has also been photographed with a swastika tattoo and has been recorded verbally and physically attacking journalists. In a 2012 discussion with supporters, he suggested that Golden Dawn members entering parliament were allowed to “carry legally licensed weapons.”
Despite his imprisonment, Kasidiaris continued to exert influence through social media, particularly his YouTube channel, which has around 162,000 subscribers. In 2020, he founded a new political party, “Greeks,” but the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) barred it from participating in the 2023 parliamentary elections. In that election, the far-right “Spartans” party, which he publicly backed, won more than 240,000 votes.
His case drew international attention in July when Elon Musk called his continued detention “confusing” or “wrong,” prompting fresh reactions. Kasidiaris has described Musk as “the most prominent personality in the world.”
Legal experts note that Kasidiaris remains barred from running for office until 2033, though the Supreme Court would rule on his eligibility at election time. Greece’s next elections are due in 2027.
His release comes at a time when far-right parties are gaining ground in several European countries. In Germany, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has made significant electoral advances, including a recent regional victory—the first for a far-right party since the Second World War. The broader trend has raised concerns among pro-European observers about the resilience of democratic institutions.
Kasidiaris’s return to politics is likely to test Greece’s legal and political systems, as well as the European Union’s commitment to upholding democratic values. As migration returns to the EU agenda, the resurgence of figures like Kasidiaris underscores the persistent appeal of nationalist rhetoric in times of economic and social uncertainty.
