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Greece: a new political force emerges

Philipp ZahnApril 27, 2012

The new Independent Greeks party is using anti-German slogans to garner votes. Polls suggest the right-wing, anti-austerity group could end up as the third strongest party in the upcoming parliamentary election.

https://p.dw.com/p/14m4l
In this Feb. 12, 2012 picture, Panos Kammenos, former deputy of the Conservative Party of New Democracy and now an independent MP, shouts against a decision of the speaker at the Greek Parliament in Athens. Kammenos, who was expelled from New Democracy in November, announced the formation of a new party on Friday. Panos Kammenos described the new party, called Independent Greeks (Anexartitoi Ellines), as an an "anti-memorandum movement addressed to all the Greeks". Kammenos, who was thrown out of New Democracy after refusing to vote for Lucas Papademos' coalition government, said that he will seek the signatures of 100,000 signatures Greek citizens as party cofounders. (Foto:Dimitri Messinis/AP/dapd).
Founder of the Independent Greeks: Panos KammenosImage: AP

The founder of the Independent Greeks is Panos Kammenos, a former New Democracy MP who was ousted from the conservative party's parliamentary group after he refused to back President Lucas Papademos. Since then Kammenos has been stirring up resentment against Germany's role in the Greek bailout. The party's official founding session took place in Distomo, the scene of Nazi atrocities during World War Two. Kammenos rejects what he calls "blackmail" by the EU and IMF and is calling on Berlin to pay war reparations to Athens.

Tourists walk next to the ruins of the 5th century B.C. Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, south of Athens, on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012. Greece's development minister admitted Wednesday that the debt-crippled country's budget deficit would hit 9.6 percent of GDP in 2011, more than the 9 percent initially projected. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Image: dapd