SGI 2024 | Greece | Executive Summary

Executive Summary

Recent Governments Experts

SGI experts on Greece

Dimitri A. Sotiropoulos

Dimitri A. Sotiropoulos is associate professor of political science at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the University of Athens and senior research fellow at the Athens-based think tank ELIAMEP. Mr. Sotiropoulos has studied law, sociology and political science in Athens, London and New Haven, CT (Yale PhD 1991). His publications include the volumes Is South-Eastern Europe Doomed to Instability?, (co-edited with Thanos Veremis), London: Frank Cass , 2002, and Democracy and the State in the New Southern Europe (co-edited with Richard Gunther and P. Nikiforos Diamandouros), Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. In 2003 he was senior research fellow at the Hellenic Observatory of the London School of Econoics and in 2009–2010 visiting fellow in South East European Studies at the Centre for European Studies, St. Antony’s College, Oxford. He has also published articles on democratization, civil society, public administration and social policy in Greece, Southern Europe and the Balkans in international journals (European Journal of Social Policy, Social Policy and Administration, West European Politics, South European Society and Politics, Europe-Asia Studies, South East European and Black Sea Studies).

Nikolaos Zahariadis

Nikolaos Zahariadis is the Mertie Buckman Chair and Professor of International Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, USA. He researches comparative policymaking at the intersection of domestic and international affairs with substantive emphasis on European political economy. He has published widely in the top publishing houses and journals in his fields and has been, among others, a Fulbright Scholar in Germany, Italy, and Greece respectively, Policy Studies Organization Fellow, National Bank of Greece Senior Research Fellow, Economic and Social Research Council (UK) - Social Science Research Council (USA) Fellow, adjunct scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Vice President of the International Public Policy Association, and President of the International Studies Association-South.

César Colino (Coordinator)

César Colino is associate professor at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the Spanish National Distance-Learning University (UNED) in Madrid. He has taught at the University of Salamanca and the Autonomous University of Madrid and has been visiting researcher at the Max-Planck Institute for the Study of Society (MPIfG) in Cologne and Research Officer at the Institute for Research in Public Administration (FöV) in Speyer, Germany. His recent research and publications have addressed issues of comparative public policy and administration, comparative federalism, and constitutional reform in federations with a focus on the Spanish, German and Canadian federal systems. He has published in journals such as Policy & Politics; Comparative European Politics; Public Administration; Regional & Federal Studies; and Publius: The Journal of Federalism. He has recently published a book on comparative administration (in Spanish) Gobiernos y administraciones públicas en perspectiva comparada, Valencia: 2013 (with S. Parrado y J. Olmeda), and is the author of the forthcoming chapter “National and European patterns of public administration and governance,” in the Handbook of European Politics, José M. Magone ed. London: Routledge (with Eloísa del Pino).

During the period under review, Greece’s political and economic landscape showed notable improvement. As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic diminished, the economy experienced growth, largely driven by increased domestic consumption and a resurgence in tourism. This economic recovery was further bolstered by heightened private direct investment and substantial contributions from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. The government also implemented measures to mitigate the surge in energy and consumer goods prices following the onset of the war in Ukraine.

Despite this progress, inflation remained a pressing issue in 2023, particularly affecting salaried workers. Although the economy improved, Greece continued to face significant challenges, including the highest public debt in the European Union, necessitating a cautious approach to fiscal expansion. Moreover, Greece had the second-highest unemployment rate among EU Member States, and a large proportion of the population remained at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

Political stability in Greece improved as domestic tensions, which had periodically flared during the previous decade’s crisis, diminished. This stability was further consolidated following the parliamentary elections of May–June 2023, in which the New Democracy party, having governed alone from 2019 to 2023, was reelected and once again formed a single-party majority government.

The government continued its reform agenda from its previous term, focusing on creating a more investment-friendly institutional environment. It also introduced cash transfers and tax breaks to support vulnerable households and economic groups affected by the pandemic. Further modernization efforts were undertaken in education, pensions, social care, and digital governance, alongside the introduction of sustainable development policies. However, concerns persisted about the government’s ability to sustain its commitment to such an extensive range of reforms.

Democratic institutions in Greece remained strong, with the government avoiding interference in the judiciary and state media. Media pluralism was maintained, civil and political liberties were upheld, and the rights to strike and protest were frequently exercised by discontented groups. Nevertheless, the private media sector remained oligopolistic, and investigations revealed instances of surveillance of select journalists and politicians from both the ruling party and the opposition, which were unresolved during this period. Additionally, bureaucratic obstacles and chronic inefficiencies in the justice system raised concerns about Greece’s capacity to swiftly address violations of the rule of law.

While the government successfully managed the economy and helped society recover from the pandemic’s impact, it faced criticism for inefficiencies in other areas. The response to the wildfires and floods of 2022 and 2023 in central Greece and the Greek islands was rapid, yet the restoration of devastated nature and local economic activities proved insufficient. Furthermore, long-standing issues within the country’s railway system were starkly exposed by a major fatal accident at the beginning of 2023.

During this period, Greece effectively addressed several challenges, including managing a reduced inflow of migrants and refugees. While there were still significant shortcomings in the social integration of these groups, the conditions of their reception and accommodation improved. Additionally, Greece successfully navigated tensions with Turkey to maintain peace.

Looking ahead, the government will need to maintain a delicate balance between promoting further economic recovery, resolving long-standing issues in public infrastructure, public administration, and the justice system, and safeguarding the living standards of social groups at risk of being left behind.