Greek Jewry concerned over far-right lawmakers’ movement
JTA
Published February 20, 2012
Makis Voridis and Adonis Georgiadis, two former deputies of the Popular Orthodox Rally, or Laos, a far-right party, have joined the ranks of the conservative New Democracy party.
They will run as New Democracy candidates in the upcoming elections; the party is currently leading in polls.
The lawmakers joined Greece’s conservatives on Feb. 17 after voting in favor of a new national austerity bill against their own party’s vote; the bill passed early Monday morning.
Makis Voridis, 48, is a lawyer and former leader of the far-right Hellenic Front party. In 2005 he joined Laos and was elected a Greek lawmaker for the first time in the 2007 general election.
Adonis Georgiadis, 40, is a publisher and author of books mainly related to ancient Greek history. He also was for the first time to parliament in the 2007 general election.
Both members of Parliament served as ministers in the recent emergency government of Prime Minister Loukas Papadimos, a government that was supported by the Socialist PASOK party, the conservative New Democracy party and the far right LAOS party due to Greece’s economic problems.
The Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece expressed Greek Jewry’s “concern and surprise” that the two lawmakers, recently expelled from the LAOS party, have joined theNew Democracy party.
In the past these lawmakers have expressed or associated themselves with insulting anti-Jewish views.
“We hope that the leadership of the New Democracy party, which is a leading Greek political party, will take all necessary measures so that such views remain at the margins of the Greek society, and will safeguard the equality of all citizens regardless of race or religion, as provided for by the Constitution,” the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece said in a statement. “Greek Jewry also believes that the same policy against racism and anti-Semitism, as endorsed by all democratic Greek and European parties, will continue.”
