The Popular Orthodox Rally or The People's Orthodox Rally (Greek: Λαϊκός Ορθόδοξος Συναγερμός, Laikós Orthódoxos Synagermós), often abbreviated to ΛΑ.Ο.Σ (LAOS) as a pun on the Greek word for people, is a Greek party. According to its political program LA.O.S. declares officially to be an absolutely democratic, "orthodox" popular, anthropocentric, modern, hellenocentric, not dogmatically anti-American or anti-European or nationalistic or rightist extremistic or racist or religious fundamentalist party. It was founded and led by journalist Georgios Karatzaferis. Karatzaferis formed LAOS in 2000; a few months after he was expelled from the centre-right New Democracy.
In 2004, LAOS secured support from the Party of Hellenism and the Hellenic Women's Political Party. In 2005, LAOS absorbed the nationalist Hellenic Front. The youth branch of LAOS is the Youth of the Orthodox Rally (NEOS). The Popular Orthodox Rally is a member of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group in the European Parliament, and was a member of the Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe Europarty until the AIDE's dissolution in 2008.
The party failed to reach the 3% threshold of the popular vote in the 2004 elections, with 2.2%; three months later it gained 4.12% of the vote and one seat in the 2004 European Parliamentary Elections. LAOS received 3.8% of the vote in the 2007 elections, electing 10 members of parliament. In 2009 LAOS managed to elect two representatives in the European Parliament, receiving 7.14% of the vote. In the 2009 elections LAOS received 5.63% of the vote, electing 15 members of parliament.
Ideology
According to the Popular Orthodox Rally, "the demarcation of the political world in the Right Wing and the Left Wing is not relevant anymore after the end of the Cold War. Nowadays, everyone in every aspect of his or her everyday life is either in favour or against Globalization". The party claims to consist of radically diverse groups that span the entire Left-Right political spectrum. Party president Karatzaferis, speaking on the 6th anniversary of the party's creation, stated "We are united in the only party that has in its ranks labourers and scientists, workers and the unemployed, leftists and rightists".
Karatzaferis has described the Popular Orthodox Rally as "a profoundly democratic party", consisting of everything from a "pre-dictatorship Right" to a merger of Left and Right to a "Popular Liberalism" in official party literature. He has also stated that he supports "patriotism and social solidarity, taking from all ideologies and personalities I like. I don't care if it's called communism, liberalism or socialism."
However, the Popular Orthodox Rally is often characterized by leftist politicians and media as "far-right", "radical right", "right-wing" and "nationalist". The Popular Orthodox Rally began as a party with an Orthodox Christian religious identity, but also one with a radically nationalist political identity. Although it has since allegedly tried to 'moderate' the nationalist part of its appeal, with some of an extreme-nationalist bent, such as Konstantinos Plevris, then leaving the party to join Patriotic Alliance or other fringe political organizations, more extreme-nationalists have recently once again joined its ranks and been elected to parliament. Of the ten Popular Orthodox Rally candidates who entered the parliament in 2007, four are considered to be part of the "nationalist bloc," Makis Voridis, Thanos Plevris, Adonis Georgiadis, and Kiriakos Velopoulos.
Platform
The main points of the Popular Orthodox Rally platform are as follows:
No accession of Turkey to the European Union. Ban immigration from outside the European Union and deport all the illegal immigrants.Opposition to the European Constitution and the Lisbon Treaty. No recognition of the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as Republic of Macedonia or under any nomenclature that includes the term "Macedonia". Drastic tax cuts for both individuals and small businesses. More drastic police security measures and ban small protests.
