Why is popularity of the anti-semitist xenophobic LAOS movement of Georgios Karatzaferis in Greece growing?

Question

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_Orthodox_Rally

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgios_Karatzaferis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hrisi_Avgi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKpynHViLfs

Answer 1

Very interesting, I was unaware of this and thank you forbringing it to public attention.  

I assume that by anti-semitism you mean anti-jewish, being that it is the most common usage of the term. As a side note, I personally find it funny when Arabs are accused of being anti-semitic.

This passage from your first link would seem to refute that claim:

"Karatzaferis has recognized the killing of six million Jews by n**i Germany[20] and has signed a motion for a resolution against anti-Semitism and racism.[21]. According to official party literature which Karatzaferis read before a press conference in 2007, the party "objects to every type of social marginalization, to every phenomenon of racism, intolerance, and anti-semitism and fully respects all nations and religions"[22]. During the same press conference Karatzaferis stated that he had received an invitation from the World Jewish Council to one of their events but, as the event was eventually cancelled, he was not able to attend.

Jewish candidate Mihail Gkiolman ran on the party's ticket in both the Greek local elections, 2006 and the Greek legislative election, 2007[23]."

Perhaps it is in reality and anti-movement which is distinct from being anti-jewish.   Just my take on things.

Answer 2

The xenophobia in today's Greece is deeply enrooted into every pore of the Greek society. A Eurobarometer survey in the year 2000 showed Greece to have the highest degree of xenophobia in the European Union. The provided links show that situation has only gotten worse since then. Even more worrisome is the fact that public manifestations of sympathy and support for extremism, racism and intolerance for everything non-Greek are observable in religious, educational, political contexts and in the mainstream media on a daily basis.

The reasons of growing support for the political options offering radicalism as a foremost value of their platforms can be easily traced to the widening gap between the rich and the poor in the Greek society. Growing dissatisfaction  with life circumstances, increased fears of losing jobs, stereotypes of "immigrants taking our jobs", uncertainty about the future and low self-confidence are the main characteristics of those who ranked at the top of the extremism support scale and who were more likely to agree with negative stereotypes on immigrants and minorities, according to the Eurobarometer survey.