The Greek-Cypriot far-right space, its history, and ELAM's trajectory

This chapter pursues a relationally situated, multi-level portrait of the Greek-Cypriot far right as a social and political force over time, especially during the past 10 years or so. In the Republic of Cyprus, the far right resurged in the 2010s during the economic crisis, in the form of a newly established actor, the National Popular Front (ELAM), Golden Dawn's sister party. ELAM entered the House of Representatives in 2016 for the first time. Six years ahead, it is now the fourth strongest parliamentary party and largely consolidated. Although the far right has been diachronically an active force on the island, both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides, this development in the Republic of Cyprus commands an interpretation. This is provided here in a fourfold manner: through the discussion of the Greek Cypriot far-right's political history; ELAM's ideological heritage and processes of mainstreaming; its communication and rhetoric; and finally its organisational structure and mobilisation practices. Emphasis is placed on dealing with the manner in which the economic crisis period witnessed a series of adaptations, reinforcements and more generally medium-term evolutionary processes.