Syriza called for a plenary session of the Greek parliament to discuss the Golden Dawn case, claiming that "the defense of democracy requires the isolation of those who undermine it".

Opposition Syriza blamed the communication of the government, saying that it tried to justify its long inaction while at the same time it "invested" in the TV show of the arrests.

The leader of Syriza, Alexis Tsipras, said that the Greek PM was trying to polarize the political climate in order to present himself as the "guarantor of Democracy" in the debt-ridden country.

Close advisors of the Greek PM are supporters of the "Two Poles Theory", attempting to equate the criminal activity of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn with the main opposition of Syriza.

"The case of Golden Dawn is primarily political. The adoption of the Theory of the Two Poles by the PM himself undermines the efforts to combat this fascist phenomenon.

Also see European Tribune by talos.


_{*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

The federalist Spinelli Group and German think tank Bertelsmann Stiftung launched yesterday (3 October) a proposal for a reform of the Treaty of Lisbon in the form of a draft treaty called 'A Fundamental Law of the European Union'.

...A brief look at the book sows the following advances in EU integration proposed:

• The EU is defined as a federation of member states;
• EU countries are obliged to respect the "values of the EU";
• The European Commission becomes the EU government, while the Council where member countries sit becomes a second chamber of Parliament. The Commission is responsible to both chambers (the European Parliament and the Council);
• The Council and the Parliament obtain the right of limited legislative initiative;
• The rotating presidency is abolished. The number of Commissioners is reduced, the Commission President decides the commissioners' nominations;
• Some MEPs are elected in pan-European electoral districts, on the basis of transnational lists;
• The Eurozone gets a separate budget;
• A new category of "Associated member state" is created;
• The ECB powers are enhanced. Mutualisation of debt becomes possible on the basis of strict budget discipline;
• Unanimity for treaty change is no longer required.

As difficult as last summer was for the nation, autumn brings new hope. The long-awaited "democratisation package" was announced this week at a huge press conference, and translated into Arabic and English simultaneously. The details tell a lot. The fact that it was named "democratization package" gave the impression that it would have something for every religious, ethnic and political group. Thus, like eager children, all 76 million of us gathered around the presents, expecting there to be something for us. Writers and journalists wanted freedom of expression. Tired of being sued and brought to court for our words, we hoped that the package would recognise the importance of a free, diverse press in a democracy The Alevi minority wanted equal rights and the recognition of their cemevi as houses of worship. Students and academics wanted universities to be places where science and free thought flourish, as well as the right to peaceful demonstration. And the Kurds? They wanted serious steps to be taken now that they have invested so much in the peace process. It is significant that Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned head of the PKK, was watching the press conference live from his prison cell.

...The problem with the democratisation package is that it is not enough, not any more. Society has changed: Turkey's people are changing faster than its politicians. And the gap is increasingly visible. These reforms do not embrace the whole of society, giving the impression that some citizens are being favoured and others forgotten. The Alevis, who were not even mentioned in the prime minister's speech, are massively disappointed - and rightly so.

Spain's largest-ever corruption trial has ended with a former adviser at Marbella town hall sentenced to 11 years in prison and fined €240m (£203m) for his role in masterminding a network of real estate fraud and bribery.

Former urban planning adviser Juan Antonio Roca was among 53 people convicted in the Costa del Sol resort after a two-year trial that involved former mayors, numerous town councillors and a German aristocrat.

The convictions centred around a cash-for-votes scandal - known as the Malaya case - that saw around €670m paid in bribes from municipal funds over three years in the mid-1990s.

The scheme, which extended across political parties, began when Jesús Gil, the former owner of Atlético de Madrid football club who died in 2006, was mayor of Marbella between 1991 and 2002.

It was a way of building that unassailable self-confidence that has kept him at the top level of international politics for longer than any leader except maybe Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe.