ATHENS — The posting of the extreme-right Golden Dawn (GD) party leader's wife Eleni Zaroulia in the Greek parliament will not go ahead, Parliament President Constantine Tassoulas responded to a furor created after the decision was published by the Governement Gazette on Friday.

Party leader and former deputy Nikos Michaloliakos is facing charges of running a criminal organization, along with other former deputies. Meanwhile, an Athens Appeals court is expected to announce on October 7 its verdict on the murder of rapper Pavlos Fyssas by a Golden Dawn member.

Stepping in after angry statements by current parties in parliament, Tassoulas said that "following the verdict on October 7, all appropriate amendments to the parliamentary rules of order will begin. Meanwhile, [Zaroulia] will not assume duties, and such a decision will not be issued."

As he explained, "Based on parliamentary rules, former presidents of parliamentary groups have a right to transfer a staff member of their choice. This right ended with the end of the last parliamentary session. Based on a parliamentary rule amendment on February 2, 2019, this right was extended to the current parliamentary period."

SYRIZA, KINAL, the Communist Party and MeRA25 called the decision an affront to democracy, given the upcoming trial verdict.