Greek far-right party’s lawmakers rebel against leader

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - Eleven lawmakers from the Spartans party in Greece rebelled against their leader whom they accused of being a government’s pawn, media reports said Thursday.

The far-right deputies said in a statement that Vassilis Stigas offended the party’s voters.

“His obscene and slanderous statements against elected lawmakers primarily offend our 250,000 voters who are the only ones to whom we are accountable,” it said.

The statement was in response to Stigas’ announcement of the expulsion of three deputies for being guided by foreign, non-parliament entities and not attending the parliamentary debate on a wildfire.

They also accused Stigas of not convening the party’s congress and not operating the democratic process.

“Because Stigas knows that he is the only one who has operated and operates extra-institutionally and illegally, violating the statute, not staffing bodies to exercise control and obstructing the opening of the party to the base that brought it to the Parliament," it said.

The Spartans party, founded in 2017 by Stigas, maintains strong connections with Golden Dawn, which was convicted in 2020 for running a criminal organization.

The party, which was openly endorsed by Golden Dawn’s imprisoned lawmaker Ilias Kasidiaris, surpassed the 3% threshold in the June 25 elections and won 12 seats in parliament.