Greece’s government has hardened its stance on two fronts: against organized anti-state groups—dubbed ‘bachalakides’ (a colloquial, derogatory term for militant anarchists or far-left agitators)—and against political figures on the left, particularly Alexis Tsipras, leader of the leftist coalition SYRIZA–Progressive Alliance (formerly known as ELAS, or Hellenic Left Coalition). The move follows a fatal arson attack in Thessaloniki targeting New Democracy (ND) officials, which resulted in the death of Vagia Nestor—the mother of ND MP Aphrodite Nestor.
Treating Anti-State Groups as Criminal Organizations
At the operational level, the government has declared an end to what it calls the ‘soft approach’ toward anti-establishment activists. Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis announced that such groups will now be formally treated as criminal organizations—mirroring the legal framework applied during the prosecution of the far-right Golden Dawn party. Under this approach, individual case files will be consolidated into unified investigations, allowing prosecutors to assess whether collective criminal conduct—including conspiracy, terrorism, or participation in a criminal organization—has occurred.
‘The judiciary will proceed with the consolidation of cases, followed by evaluations to determine which category of criminal activity these violations fall under. I believe this is necessary—and I think prosecutorial authorities are already moving in that direction,’ Floridis said on Parapolitika 90.1 radio.
‘Remove the Hoods, Bring the Guilty to Justice’
Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis echoed the hard-line message, calling for those responsible to be identified and prosecuted without delay. He acknowledged past failures across successive governments—including previous ND administrations—for allowing anti-state actors to operate with impunity, describing how such individuals had long ‘landed softly’ rather than facing consequences.
Marinakis framed recent enforcement actions as long-overdue retribution: ‘What matters most is what the state does… These actions appear to be retaliatory—because, after a decade-long delay, a government has finally emerged—our own government, and those of our political camp—that is acting to remove all these criminals, all these extremist elements of the far left from universities, to uproot them and expel them.’
Political Blame Directed at Tsipras and ELAS
Simultaneously, the government is assigning explicit political responsibility for the climate that enabled the Thessaloniki attack—not only to perpetrators but also to senior opposition figures. ND Secretary Konstantinos Kyranakis escalated criticism of Alexis Tsipras and his former party ELAS (Hellenic Left Coalition), pointing to its name—evoking historical references to the communist-led Greek People’s Liberation Army (ELAS) during the Greek Civil War—as evidence of divisive, civil-war-era rhetoric.
Speaking on SKAI TV hours after earlier remarks on Action24, Kyranakis stated: ‘When you nurture, cultivate, and tolerate certain behaviors over years, you pave the way for a new generation of terrorists to take the next step.’ He accused Tsipras of longstanding tolerance toward extremism, citing his policies, legislative proposals, votes, and public statements as proof of ‘indulgence toward terrorism.’
He added pointedly: ‘And then he appeared—reintroducing himself to Greek citizens as “the ELAS of the Left’s struggles,” referencing the “People’s Army of the Civil War.”’