A meeting of leaders of the Greek governing coalition on a reinforced anti-racism bill has ended without agreement. Sources within the government told the AMNA news agency that the main coalition partner New Democracy of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras was opposed to submitting the bill.
Democratic Left leader Fotis Kouvelis and PSAOK leader Evangelos Venizelos said they would continue to insist that the bill be immediately submitted to parliament for approval. “We have a political formation which is blatantly Nazi. It is our international duty… to have comprehensive legislation against pro-Nazi and violent, racist behavior,” Venizelos told reporters.
Greece's Justice Minister Antonis Roupakiotis' draft bill has been opposed by the center-right New Democracy which argues that existing legislation is sufficient to deal with racism, while junior coalition partners Pasok and Democratic Left are pushing for the bill to be immediately submitted to parliament for approval.
If enacted, the law would outlaw public incitement against people because of their race, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation, and impose jail sentences of up to six years on offenders. It would include hate speech in Parliament, and political parties that receive public funding would see that funding suspended if their leaders publicly deny the Holocaust, take part in racist attacks or use Nazi salutes or symbols in parliament.
Deputy Interior Minister Haralambos Athanasiou (New Democracy) said the government's commitment to combat racism did not require new legislation but amendments to existing laws.
International groups such as the World Jewish Congress, whose Executive Committee met in Greece in March, have called for strong measures aimed at reining in the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party.
Golden Dawn staged a weekend rally near Athens to protest the draft law. Party leader Nikolaos Michaloliakos said the legislation was part of an effort to outlaw Golden Dawn. He told supporters: "They want to stop Greeks expressing themselves ... They are planning a law, the anti-racism law. Let them do it. We can exist outside the law. I tell them this directly and publicly."
