Δημοκρατικό Πατριωτικό Κίνημα – Νίκη (The Democratic Patriotic Movement – “Victory”, or simply “Niki”) is a Greek political party operating in a conservative space and focusing on Orthodox Christian traditions.
“Niki” was founded by a teacher-theologian Dimitrios Natsios in 2019. In the May 2023 elections, the first in which the party took part, it won 2.92% of the vote, remaining literally 0.8% from passing parliament.
Its main programmatic positions are defined as the abolition of the Prespan Agreement (the name of North Macedonia for FYROM), a radical restructuring of education, a change in the acquisition of Greek citizenship by immigrants and refugees, the separation of the state and parties, as well as economic and moral rewards for having many children and supporting the traditional family.
The party was founded by a theologian and educator Dimitrios Natsios June 17, 2019 in Thessaloniki, after the signing of the Prespa Agreement and a month before the 2019 parliamentary elections, in which he did not participate. The party appeared in the polls shortly before the May 2023 elections, gaining strength after far-right parties were excluded from the elections. NIKI collected the highest percentages in pre-election polls in Northern Greece and especially in Macedonia.
Two people included in the ballots have a common reference to St. Paisios the Holy Mountaineer. It is reported that the Nika party receives support from Athos monasteries and Christian Orthodox brotherhoods. However, the Filofeysky Monastery, in particular, denied any connection with the party, and the Caracalla Monastery referred to “non-existent messages”. Archbishop Jerome expressed his disagreement with “the use of the Church and its appropriation by any falsifiers of the faith…”, and Metropolitan Antim of Alexandrupol referred to “the provocative interference of monastic and church organizations in support of the parties.”
Ideology and positions
Nicky has been described as a party belonging to a wider range of right-wing movements with an emphasis on religion, homeland and family as its main goals. She does not consider herself to be on the left-right spectrum, suggesting a “Christian-centric government” with a parallel separation of political parties from the state. According to the ideology of “NIKI”, former politicians, government officials or Masons are not accepted as members of the party. Also, the party’s position includes a demand to bring to justice those politicians who participated in governments accused of embezzling public money and increasing public debt, as well as limiting their right to re-election.
In matters of foreign policy, the party completely rejects Prespa Agreement. Maintains a neutral attitude towards third countries, giving preference to Orthodoxy, as a unifying element of the Balkan peoples. The party does not agree that Greece supports Ukraine in connection with the Russian invasion. Regarding Greece’s relations with Turkey, she argues that issues between them can only be resolved through a show of force.
“NIKI” pays special attention to education, criticizing the content of textbooks, while speaking out against the so-called. “sex education course” focused on LGBTQ+ ideas. Party supports negative attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community and opposes proposed reforms such as legalizing same-sex marriage. In addition, the party opposes abortion. “NIKI” declares its opposition to mandatory medical procedures, such as vaccination, introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, and also questions the safety of vaccines against this virus.
Party leader Dimitris Natsios
Δημήτρης Νατσιός (Dimitris Natsios, born in Moskhohori, Pieria, in 1965) is a Greek theologian, educator, politician, writer and host of church programs. In 2019, he founded the Democratic Patriotic Movement NIKI, taking over as president of the party.
Biography
Dimitrios Natsios was born into a large family. He studied Pedagogy at the Pedagogical Academy in Thessaloniki and Theology at the Theological School of the Aristotelian University in Thessaloniki. Now she works as a primary school teacher in the city of Kilkis. He writes a column on education, political and theological content, and has published 12 books on education. Also, for 12 years, he was the presenter and editor of programs on the church television station 4E and on the TV channel “Δίον τηλεόραση”.
Political career
Natsios began his political activity by organizing a large number of speeches (he mentions 350), which touched upon issues of the Christian faith and homeland. He also has a negative attitude towards textbooks (mainly on language, history and religious subjects, as well as sex education) and considers them dangerous. In 2006, he wrote a text criticizing the 6th grade history textbook.
On June 17, 2019, after the signing of the Prespa Agreement in Thessaloniki, he founded the political party “NIKI”, of which he is the president. According to the party website, it is considered his work that he managed to “inspire, unite and rally every living, serious, honest and selfless conscience in the holy struggle for the restoration of our Motherland on political foundations.” In the May 2023 elections, his party finished 6th with 2.92% and 172,208 votes, but failed to enter Parliament, where it needs 3% to pass.
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