The neo-Nazi party saw its ratings soar in the Sunday elections, after it nearly tripled its ratings in Athens and managed to elect councilors in 12 of the country’s 13 electoral districts.
In Athens, the party spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris may have failed to make it to the second round, finishing in fourth place behind Aris Spiliotopoulos, but his 16.92% of the vote translates into 35,949 voters, about three times as many the detained party leader Nikos Michaloliakos received in the 2010 municipal race (5.29% – 10,222 votes).
While the neo-Nazi party saw its ratings in Athens increase, particularly in western and central neighborhoods such as Kolonos, Votanikos, Sepolia, Patisia and Kypseli, support for the Golden Dawn in Piraeus was nearly halved since the general elections of 2012. This may be attributed to the appearance of Yannis Moralis.
The ratings of the extremist party nearly doubled its influence in the Saronic Gulf islands (Hydra, Poros, Spetses, Kythira, Aegina) since the general elections, while in Thessaly, MP Panagiotis Iliopoulos managed to maintain his ratings, despite being detained in Korydallos and facing charges of participation in a criminal organization.
Overall, the neo-Nazi party performed best in the districts of Central Greece, (9.02% and 2 councilors), in Peloponnesus, (9%), Central Macedonia (8.74% and 3 councilors), Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (5.95% and 2 councilors)
