Greece: A procedural defence of democracy against the Golden Dawn

Abstract

Greece not a militant democracy - Constitution rejects party bans - Challenge posed by neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn - Preference for a procedural approach - Not as passive as previously thought - Proactive use of regular law - Golden Dawn charged for being a criminal organisation disguised as a political party - Questions about the political timing of the trial - Importance of judiciary independence - Why not a terrorist organization - Suspension of party funding and other restrictions against Golden Dawn - Actions by state institutions as opposed to local and civil society - How to distinguish between procedural- and militant-democratic initiatives - Political rights of convicted party leaders - Benefits and risks of procedural model.