Evaggelia Kalerante Assistant Professor, University of Western Macedonia Greece

1. Extreme Right Political Discourse and its Educational Dimensions as they are Projected in the Formal Form of the Greek Extreme Right Political Party of “ChrisiAvgi” Evaggelia Kalerante Assistant Professor, University of Western Macedonia Greece

2. Introduction • In Greece, since 2008, a time point associated with the commencement of imposing financial measures towards the rationalization of the function of economy with a single-sided view of the curtailment of expenditures and the reduction of shortages, the dynamic presence of the extreme right political party of “ChrisiAvgi” has been simultaneously signaled • The notion of nation and the people’s dynamics against the globalized centers of financial and political control has been projected by the party, having taken advantage of the social disapproval

3. Introduction • At the same time, the notion of migrant as the “other”, a threat against the Greek political system, is elevated • The educational status seems to be complicated and difficult to understand as there is a schematized reaction against its structure as it has been formulated after the schools merging and suppression along with the reduction of expenditures on education • More analytically, the educational standpoints of the extreme right party within the spatiotemporal framework formulating uncertainty and insecurity as a prevailing condition in the Greek society are projected in the present paper

4. Methodology • Focus was placed on the “Chrisi Avgi” political party’s newspaper carrying the same title with the party • All articles are categorized and analyzed in these six sets so that the ideological framework of the extreme right party as well as its evolutionary course, namely how there is a continuation of their extreme right standpoints and how the struggle for penetration is intensified within the educational premises aiming at the increase of voters – teachers and the simultaneous promotion of the party’s principles and standpoints within the educational environment, which will reinforce the teachers’ role, especially within a period of their questioning and placing emphasis on authoritative models

5. Methodology • The six sets that were generated are as follows: • a) nation – state • b) people • c) migration issue • d) globalization • e) communism • f) Greek education • g) national fests After the articles have been studied, they are classified in the corresponding set, that is, the set in which the particular text content corresponds

6. Methodology • The method used is the one most effective when it is implemented within a long time period so that the discourse evolution and dynamics is elevated and the texts analysis is meaningful which is able to depict the evolution in a long term in an “ideological game” in which the discourse is formulated in an active political culture

7. Discussion • At the beginning a limited number of articles were published in the extreme right newspaper, in which the discourse was intensely propagandistic and simple; that is, without any difficult expressions or complicated discourse • It has been estimated that the addressed audience belong to the lower social strata and are found among the youth population1 of limited education • Therefore, the texts were rather informative and conducive to tension, at the same time, so that the limited audience of the party is motivated, aiming at followers that would participate mainly in beating migrants or protecting citizens

8. Discussion • It seems that within an arduous economic environment there is an escalating conflict between the newspaper and the globalized environment of enforcements and controls over the Greek society • The projection of globalization as a threat to the Greek society, under the economic dimension of monitoring and the absent economic drafting, as everything is monitored by external carriers, is commonly projected in all articles

9. Discussion • The characteristic recurrent attitude “back to the roots” as a request that condenses the ideological standpoint related to the purity of the Greek element is common in all the articles • The necessity to promote a Greek education which is defined as the education concentrating on the Greeks’ education through the teaching of the main subjects of Ancient Greek Language, History, Geography, Religion and Citizen’s Education is pinpointed by the articles that are exclusively related to education. Reference is made to functional units and it is estimated that they will create those prerequisites to formulate the Greek identity

10. Discussion • Therefore, emphasis is placed on the vivid, live narrations of battles and actions aiming at the projection of “bravery and masculinity”, the “readiness to fight” in which Greece as a notion will be present in a co-ordinate policy to elevate Greece along with the cancellation of all the globalized standpoints related to a history of civilization; a history that will unify peoples and create those prerequisites for co-existence through the recognition of the “others”

11. Conclusions • The newspaper of the extreme right party of “Chrisi Avgi” is of special research interest as, since 2010, it is a regular issue, rather a popular newspaper citing ideological views and standpoints • Despite criticism or the deconstruction of standpoints which is ventured by the other political parties, the intellectuals, the Mass Media and the other newspapers, the party’s extreme right standpoints are noticed to increase its dynamics and penetrate into traditional left areas by increasing its voters, teachers included. It is noteworthy that in the teachers’ unionist elections “Chrisi Avgi” was represented by unionists – candidates

12. Conclusions • It is underlined that the Greek education is absent having been cancelled by the established educational policy which included globalized educational views at the cost of the Greek characteristic values and ideals • As a result, within an intercultural educational environment, Greek students have not acquired those features of the Greek ideal that would make them distinguishable among the “other” lesser peoples

13. Conclusions • Emphasis on the national and nationality takes no account of the multicultural reality of societies and the individuals’ policy of rights, the students-migrants in this particular case • Placing emphasis on a history of events, where there will be a single-sided elevation of the “Greek writing of History” generates an anti-scientific approach while it does not serve, simultaneously, peace and humanism, two projected values within a cultural framework of communication and harmonization of the people’s relations

14. Conclusions • At the same time, a policy of disdaining the “others” is generated conducive to isolating the country. The weakness to vote for the draft against racism seems to be further reinforcing for the extreme right formation’s standpoints • Another issue of major concern and close observation is the naturalization and legalization of violence

15. Thank you for your attention!!