Nikolaos Michaloliakos
Encyclopedia
Nikolaos G. Michaloliakos (born 1957) is the leader of Hrisi Avgi
, a Greek national socialist organisation.
, in 1957. Ηe completed his studies at the Faculty of Mathematics of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
.
At the age of 16, he joined the nationalist 4 August Party of Konstantinos Plevris
. He also participated in the Athens local organisation of EOKA-B.
He was arrested for the first time in July 1974, during a protest outside the British embassy in Athens, against the stance of the United Kingdom
toward the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
. He was arrested again for assaulting journalists covering the December 1976 funeral of Evangelos Mallios, a policeman who tortured prisoners during the Regime of the Colonels, assassinated by the Revolutionary Organization 17 November
, but was released due to technical issues related to his arrest. While he was in prison, Michaloliakos met the leaders of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974
. After that he joined the Army
and became a commando of the special forces. He was arrested again in July 1978 after he had become a member of a far-right extremist group, and sentenced to one year imprisonment in January 1979 for illegally carrying guns and explosives. He was also dismissed from his position in the army.
After he was released, he launched the Hrisi Avgi
(Greek for "Golden Dawn") magazine. The politics of the magazine were National Socialist
. The publication of the magazine ceased in April 1984, when Michaloliakos joined the National Political Union
, and took over the leadership of its youth section, after a personal order of Georgios Papadopoulos. In January 1985 he broke away from the National Political Union and founded the "Popular National Movement - Hrisi Avgi". Michaloliakos remained the leader of Hrisi Avgi
until its disbandment, in November 2005.
Although Hrisi Avgi remains a party of minor electoral importance, it drew public attention in the 1990s and early 2000.
Michaloliakos announced the disbandment of Hrisi Avgi in November 2005, due to clashes with anti-fascists. In 2005-2007 he (like most members of Hrisi Avgi) continued his political activity through the Patriotic Alliance
.
On 17th of January 2011, Michaloliakos participated in the Athens Municipal Council accompanied by a number of bodyguards. The president of the Council noticed that the members of the Municipal Council are protected by the municipal police and asked him to participate to the talks without his bodyguards. When some of the members of the Municipal Council, mainly from left parties, accused Michaloliakos of using fascists methods and of promoting fascism, he stood up and saluted using the Nazi salute
before leaving the room. This behavior caused the immediate reaction of both the Mayor of Athens and the opposition groups who characterized the salute as a direct insult to democracy.
Hrisi Avgi
Golden Dawn is a Greek nationalistic far right-wing political organization led by Nikolaos Michaloliakos in Greece. It is frequently characterized as Neo-Nazi and as opposing democracy, immigration, multiculturalism, Marxism, globalization, liberalism, anti-militarism, anarchism, Judaism and Islam...
, a Greek national socialist organisation.
Life
Michaloliakos was born in AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, in 1957. Ηe completed his studies at the Faculty of Mathematics of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is the oldest university in Southeast Europe and has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837. Today, it is the second-largest institution of higher learning in Greece,...
.
At the age of 16, he joined the nationalist 4 August Party of Konstantinos Plevris
Konstantinos Plevris
Konstantinos A. Plevris , in English sometimes Constantine Plevris or Kostas Plevris, is a Greek attorney of law of the Greek Supreme Court and far right author and intellectual...
. He also participated in the Athens local organisation of EOKA-B.
He was arrested for the first time in July 1974, during a protest outside the British embassy in Athens, against the stance of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
toward the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on 20 July 1974, was a Turkish military invasion in response to a Greek military junta backed coup in Cyprus...
. He was arrested again for assaulting journalists covering the December 1976 funeral of Evangelos Mallios, a policeman who tortured prisoners during the Regime of the Colonels, assassinated by the Revolutionary Organization 17 November
Revolutionary Organization 17 November
Revolutionary Organization 17 November , was a Marxist urban guerrilla organization formed in 1975 and believed to have been disbanded in 2002 after the arrest and trial of a...
, but was released due to technical issues related to his arrest. While he was in prison, Michaloliakos met the leaders of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974
Greek military junta of 1967-1974
The Greek military junta of 1967–1974, alternatively "The Regime of the Colonels" , or in Greece "The Junta", and "The Seven Years" are terms used to refer to a series of right-wing military governments that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974...
. After that he joined the Army
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
and became a commando of the special forces. He was arrested again in July 1978 after he had become a member of a far-right extremist group, and sentenced to one year imprisonment in January 1979 for illegally carrying guns and explosives. He was also dismissed from his position in the army.
After he was released, he launched the Hrisi Avgi
Hrisi Avgi
Golden Dawn is a Greek nationalistic far right-wing political organization led by Nikolaos Michaloliakos in Greece. It is frequently characterized as Neo-Nazi and as opposing democracy, immigration, multiculturalism, Marxism, globalization, liberalism, anti-militarism, anarchism, Judaism and Islam...
(Greek for "Golden Dawn") magazine. The politics of the magazine were National Socialist
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. The publication of the magazine ceased in April 1984, when Michaloliakos joined the National Political Union
National Political Union
The National Political Union, better known as EPEN was a Greek far-right political party. The party was founded on January 30, 1984 by jailed former junta leader Georgios Papadopoulos. It participated in the 1985 general election...
, and took over the leadership of its youth section, after a personal order of Georgios Papadopoulos. In January 1985 he broke away from the National Political Union and founded the "Popular National Movement - Hrisi Avgi". Michaloliakos remained the leader of Hrisi Avgi
Hrisi Avgi
Golden Dawn is a Greek nationalistic far right-wing political organization led by Nikolaos Michaloliakos in Greece. It is frequently characterized as Neo-Nazi and as opposing democracy, immigration, multiculturalism, Marxism, globalization, liberalism, anti-militarism, anarchism, Judaism and Islam...
until its disbandment, in November 2005.
Although Hrisi Avgi remains a party of minor electoral importance, it drew public attention in the 1990s and early 2000.
Michaloliakos announced the disbandment of Hrisi Avgi in November 2005, due to clashes with anti-fascists. In 2005-2007 he (like most members of Hrisi Avgi) continued his political activity through the Patriotic Alliance
Patriotic Alliance
Patriotic Alliance was a short-lived Greek nationalist political party, founded in 2004...
.
Member of the Athens Municipal Council
In the Municipality Elections of the 7th of November 2010, Michaloliakos was elected councilman in the Athens Municipal Council, voted by the 5.3% of the Athenians with the slogan "Let's make Athens Greek again" (Να ξαναγίνει η Αθήνα ελληνική).On 17th of January 2011, Michaloliakos participated in the Athens Municipal Council accompanied by a number of bodyguards. The president of the Council noticed that the members of the Municipal Council are protected by the municipal police and asked him to participate to the talks without his bodyguards. When some of the members of the Municipal Council, mainly from left parties, accused Michaloliakos of using fascists methods and of promoting fascism, he stood up and saluted using the Nazi salute
Nazi salute
The Nazi salute, or Hitler salute , was a gesture of greeting in Nazi Germany usually accompanied by saying, Heil Hitler! ["Hail Hitler!"], Heil, mein Führer ["Hail, my leader!"], or Sieg Heil! ["Hail victory!"]...
before leaving the room. This behavior caused the immediate reaction of both the Mayor of Athens and the opposition groups who characterized the salute as a direct insult to democracy.
Publications
- The Last Loyal (Οι Τελευταίοι Πιστοί)
- Enemies of the State (Εχθροί του Καθεστώτος)
- For a Greater Greece in a Free Europe (Για μια Μεγάλη Ελλάδα σε μια Ελεύθερη Ευρώπη)
- Against All (Εναντίων Όλων)
- Pericles Giannopoulos: The Apollonian Speech (Περικλής Γιαννόπουλος: Ο Απολλώνιος Λόγος)