Two GUE/NGL MEPs have strongly denounced the rise of fascism and right-wing extremism in Europe in a plenary debate this afternoon on how to tackle Europe's increasing swing to the right.

GUE/NGL MEP Nikolaos Chountis commented: “In Greece the rise of right wing extremism and Golden Dawn is directly attributable to the past three years that Greece has been subjected to the memorandum.”

He added: “There is an enormous amount of suffering and hopelessness in Greece, ordinary people are paying for this crisis in cuts to their pensions and the closing of their schools and hospitals. There is no real democracy in Greece; it is being violated every day by politicians only interested in paying back loans.

“But there is an ongoing fight against both the memorandum and fascism in Greece and in Europe. In the GUE/NGL we believe that tackling this problem has to be done ideologically.”

GUE/NGL MEP Georgios Toussas said: “Golden Dawn is a criminal Nazi organisation which has carried out race hate murders and has tortured working people and immigrants.”

Responding to right-wing MEPs calls for an equivalent debate on so-called 'left-wing extremism', Toussas said: “The criminal gang Golden Dawn shows how dangerous it is to equate fascism with communism. This theory exonerates fascism itself and feeds on it. Fascism is the offshoot of the exploitation that is inherent in the capitalist system.”

“Fascist groups are gaining ground all across Europe and we must deal with them,” he concluded.

GUE/NGL Press Contacts:
Emily Macintosh +32 470 85 05 08
Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20
European United Left / Nordic Green Left
European Parliamentary Group