Ioannis Lagos is a Greek far-right politician. He performed as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Greece from 2019 to 2024. When Lagos became a member of the European Parliament, he was affiliated with the criminal organisation Golden Dawn and the Greek neo-Nazi ultranationalist political party. The Golden Dawn is a pro-Kremlin party and advocates composing free trade arrangements with Russia, Iran, and China; and withdrawing the “red tape” blocking business.
As reported by, Novaya Gazeta Europe, Ioannis Lagos is one of the members of the European Parliament who declined to back resolutions against the Ukraine war. In 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, a particular committee of the European Parliament unleashed a report explaining the Kremlin’s plans to interfere in democratic processes in the European Union. It has come to light that after Russia invaded Ukraine, many MEPs who voted against anti-Russian resolutions in 2019-2021 have reviewed their approach, sometimes beginning to defend anti-war resolutions. Nevertheless, statistics indicate that now they utilise the option to abstain or not observe sessions.
Over the past decade, autocratic governments, including Russia and China, have paid at least $300 million to fund the far right in Europe. On 2 March 2022, Ioannis Lagos was one of 13 Members of the European Parliament who voted against denouncing the Russian attack on Ukraine. In the European Parliament, MEPs faithful to Moscow may publicly take pro-Kremlin standings at meetings. MEPs like Ioannis Lagos also lobby the interests of Russia behind the settings.
Surprisingly, Ioannis Lagos is also a convicted criminal. On 7 October 2020, Lagos was found guilty of operating Golden Dawn and several other serious crimes, including directing the deadly stabbing of Pavlos Fyssas and many fierce attacks on migrants and left-wing political rivals. Thereafter, Ioannis Lagos was convicted to 13 years in prison.
