The end of the first decade of the 21st century was marked by the economic crisis and its devastating effects, with European Union as one of the most affected regions. Subsequently, Greece, as the country that was hit harder, has experienced some of the harshest austerity measures and policies ever implemented in the Eurozone. In particular, the adoption in 2010 of the first Memorandum of Understanding triggered a large wave of protests against the measures and the Greek government – with special reference to the Greek “Indignant” movement - in the country.
Actually, those protests have coincided with what can be seen as the most massive protest cycle of modern Greece. Initiated from the sparks of December 2008 - the biggest revolt in modern Greek history - this cycle of protest endures up to the present day, with a number of different social movements, from student movements and NIMBY local struggles, to trade and labor unions to have been activated. Notwithstanding, the riots of December 2008 signified also the rise of the extremes in everyday and political agenda.
Thus, a noteworthy upsurge in the left-wing terrorism in Greece and an intensification of neo-nazist extremism, in the face of Golden Dawn, have been both witnessed. Indeed a new generation of terrorist organizations has emerged, indicating the severity and complexity of the problem. On the other hand, the voting success of Golden Dawn in the national elections of June 2012, along with the perpetuation of its violent and racist policy and discourse have been pretty disquieting. Consequently, the parallel upsurge of both left and right-wing extremism that the country experiences currently seems rather threatening and make the need for further analysis of the phenomena of political violence and terrorism in the country rather requisite.
