by “illegal immigrants”. Hidiroglou’s views against immigrants, the political let, the Changeover period, anti-fascism and human rights supporters have been laid down by the author himself in his articles, as well as in events organized by ultra-right magazines such as the pro-fascist Patria. If this was the case regarding the political authorities of the military four years ago, today these trends seem to be reinforced at the level of the military oicers. Commenting on the re-enlistment of military oicers in March 2013, Avgi newspaper characterized it as “an opening of New Democracy to Golden Dawn’s ultraright agenda”, explaining that “although KYSEA dismissed the chiefs of all three branches of the military, it did not dismiss the chief of Armed Forces General Staf, General Michalis Kostarakos, who via Twitter had unbecomingly saluted the racist provision brought to the Parliament by 85 New Democracy MPs suggesting that all entrants to military and police schools be ‘of Hellenic origin’”111. The article also reports that the inal re-enlistment followed Kostarakos’ own suggestions. The same chief of the general staf, Kostarakos was all over the press again a few days later, as Democratia, the newspaper close to the prime minister’s milieu, noted approvingly that on “the night of Holy Saturday, the Paschal troparion chanted by Archbishop Ieronymos was ‘covered’ by the National Anthem chanted vigorously by the contingent of the Naval Academy”. According to the newspaper, Kostarakos congratulated, again via Twitter, “the contingents of Military Schools that manfully chanted the National Hymn last night in Athens, during the liturgy of the Resurrection”, claiming that these students had acted upon an… order issued by Kostarakos himself, two years earlier112. The newspaper’s overtones and of course this statement by Kostarakos had obvious political implications, as the Greek-Orthodox archbishop is highly unpopular in right-wing and ultra-right milieus because of his more tolerant views on immigration. The “covering” of his voice was a symbolic challenge to his power and an expression of antagonism to the institutional representation of widespread anti-Memorandum and anti-parliamentary sentiments. Along with this peculiar antagonism between the military, the Church and political authorities, with the background of a collapsing political system, there is also a growing competition for inluence inside the military between New Democracy and Golden Dawn. In one of its many questions in the Parliament regarding uniformed oicers’ pay cuts, with which Golden Dawn tries to promote itself as the most loyal “syndicalist” of the security forces and particularly the military, Golden Dawn MP Polyvios Zisimopoulos raised the issue of promotions for longterm army volunteers.113 A few months later, another Golden Dawn communi- 111. 112. 113. Georgios Meliggonis “KYSEA: Re-enlistment with… an ultra-right touch”, I Avgi, 8 March 2013. Kostarakos’ tweet said: “This is the right time to legislate the origin of the Mil. Schools’ entrants. They must be of Hellenic origin”. Nikos Eletheroglou, “They ‘covered’ even Ieronymos!”, Democratia newspaper, 7 May 2013. See http://www.xryshaygh.com/index.php/koinovoulio/view/erwthsh-gia-thn-ierarchikhkai-misthologikh-dikaiwsh-twn-ethelontwn-makras#.UfpfoG1hjIU#ixzz2aitwhwQQ (last accessed on 1 August 2013). MAPPING ULTRA-RIGHT EXTREMISM, XENOPHOBIA AND RACISM WITHIN THE GREEK STATE APPARATUS | 77