Neo-Nazis make threats against journalist’s life

Death threats against a journalist and attempts to intimidate the media by a neo-Nazi party that won 21 seats in the Greek election has fuelled fears for the political stability of the country.

The threats were condemned by European Commissioner Neelie Kroes.

The two main parties, reduced to just over 30% of the seats in the 300-seat parliament between them, failed to form a coalition government.

Alexis Tsiparas, leader of the far left group Syriza, which won second place in the weekend election has said he will not include the far right Golden Dawn in his discussions.

There are fears that the media is already being intimidated into staying quiet about the group.

The journalist, German- born Xenia Kounalaki, foreign editor of Greece’s leading newspaper, Kathimerini, wrote that the party, which she referred to as being made up of Nazi thugs, should have been banned from running in the elections.

Almost immediately a long article, with details of Ms Kounalaki’s personal and professional life and that of her 13-year-old daughter, appeared on its website with a veiled threat against her person.

The police said they were unable to do anything as the site was registered in the US and the author of the article was unknown. They advised her to stop writing about Golden Dawn for a time.

“The fact that many of my friends and colleagues and even the Greek police advised to stop writing against them for a while is a first victory for Golden Dawn,” she told Brussels- based EurActiv website.