Albania and Greek Golden Dawn

 

 Golden Dawn members closed the borders with Albania yesterday afternoon

 
Recently, a friend from Northern Epirus (a region in southern Albania that has historically been heavily populated by Greeks) remarked to me that in the recent European elections, he intended to vote for a Golden Dawn candidate. He also observed that not a few Greeks from Northern Epirus had begun to support that party and, had sought nomination as its candidates. This is gravely disquieting.

Led by the party’s MP Christos Pappas and together with MPs Christos Rigas and Konstantinos Barbarousis, Goldendawners from Epirus and Aitoloakarnania closed the borders.
The reason was the recent incidents in Premeti.
For around an hour the gathered crowd kept the borders closed while shouting slogans about Northern Epirus.

“We came to these artificial borders in order to demonstrate our struggle for the liberation of Northern Epirus. Albania is scared of Golden Dawn because it is the only party that includes in its program the struggle for the Greeks of Northern Epirus”, MP Christos Pappas said.

“The Greek government of the memorandum provides the military bases of Souda and Kalamata to NATO allies without getting anything in return. However, what they should ask from the international community is the implementation of the Protocol of Corfu, according to which Northern Epirus should be independent. This will be the first step towards the liberation of this Greek land. I ask you to turn towards northern Epirus and sing our national anthem so loudly that it will be heared by our brothers in Agioi Saranta, in Himara and Premeti”, said Golden Dawn’s MP.

Golden Dawn's leader has repeatedly called for the liberation of Northern Epirus. Last year, led by the party's Member of Parliament Christos Pappas and together with MPs Christos Rigas and Konstantinos Barbarousis, Golden Dawn supporters from Epirus blocked the border crossing at Kakavia. At that time, Christos Pappas stated: "We came to these artificial borders in order to demonstrate our struggle for the liberation of Northern Epirus. Albania is scared of Golden Dawn because it is the only party that includes in its program the struggle for the Greeks of Northern Epirus."