Greece

Greece falls into the lower-middle ranks (rank 18) internationally in the area of vertical accountability.

No significant barriers to political party competition exist for national or local elections, and party registration is straightforward. Political parties that meet the 3% electoral threshold in parliamentary elections, or 1.5% in European Parliament elections, receive equal media access. Party financing is regulated by law, but undeclared contributions are a continuing concern.

Elections are conducted fairly and legally. Parties must obtain at least 3% of the vote to win parliamentary representation. There are no barriers preventing citizens or societal groups from voting, though delays in updating municipal records lead to inflated electoral registers. The party system is highly polarized.

The Freedom of Information Act grants access to official information, but public services often delay responses or refuse requests.

Greece scores relatively poorly in international comparison (rank 22) with regard to diagonal accountability.

The government can influence the public media by appointing executives. This led effectively to government control from 2015 to 2019, but influence has since decreased. Journalists occasionally face pressure such as legal threats from government ministers. In an ongoing case, the national intelligence service has been accused of wiretapping journalists’ phones.

The private media sector features outlets expressing views across the political spectrum, but is dominated by a few large media conglomerates with wide-ranging external business interests. This creates an oligopoly with significant economic power. Civil society groups operate freely, and there are few restrictions on assembly or political rallies.

Economic organizations have lost influence over the past decade. They are invited to parliamentary sessions, and participate in negotiations to set minimum wages and salaries. However, labor associations in particular have also been obstructive, for instance using strikes to prevent policy adoption. Welfare and environmental groups have little ability to shape policy.

Greece falls into the sample’s middle ranks (rank 16) in the category of horizonal accountability.

The Court of Audit is highly respected and independent. It audits public finances, oversees public procurement and acts as a court for public pension disputes. The data protection authority is also independent, with sufficient resources to be an effective advocate for data protection and privacy.

Greece’s judiciary operates independently of the executive. Even first-instance courts have the power to declare government decisions unconstitutional, but the Supreme Administrative Court has the final say. Civil rights are generally widely respected, but allegations have emerged that the intelligence service recently wiretapped journalists and politicians.

The anti-corruption policy framework has been substantially strengthened in recent years, including through the creation of an independent new anti-corruption authority in 2019. The parliament has sufficient resources and powers to monitor the executive and help shape policy.

Greece falls into the lower-middle ranks (rank 20) in the area of coordination.

The prime minister’s office, now called the Presidency of the Government, oversees coordination. It evaluates ministry policy proposals to ensure alignment with government priorities. The cabinet regularly discusses draft bills. Any significant amendments to bills must be coordinated with the Presidency.

A government reorganization in 2019 improved coordination within the ministerial bureaucracy. Each ministry contains a Coordination Service unit that interfaces with the Presidency. While informal coordination remains important, significant issues must be escalated though the ministries’ hierarchical structure.

National standards mainly focus on economic performance. There are few national standards for decentralized public services in areas such as environmental services, education, social assistance and land use. Frequent changes in the tasks assigned to regional and local governments have undermined the quality of public service delivery.

Greece scores relatively poorly in international comparison (rank 26) with regard to consensus-building.

Various government bodies provide expertise during the policy formulation stage. In the absence of a formal expert committee, the government often seeks guidance from the scientific community when challenges arise.

Representatives of capital and labor groups are required to negotiate with the government on labor relations issues. Employer and employee groups are invited to participate in parliamentary committee sessions discussing labor issues, but the government is not obligated to act on the outcomes of consultation talks.

Social welfare and environmental groups have limited involvement in the early policymaking stages. The country has made notable progress in the availability and openness of public data, and is highly ranked for the reusability of government data.

Greece falls into the lower-middle ranks (rank 18) in the category of sensemaking.

A number of new strategic units have been created in recent years, including one for strategic foresight and anticipatory innovation. They have not yet engaged in policy experimentation using advanced techniques such as innovation labs or behavioral insights.

Regulatory impact assessments are legally required for new legislation, and no bill can be submitted without one. These tend to provide reliable information on socioeconomic impacts when data is available. However, the lack of data on specific indicators often translates into weakened evaluations.

RIAs must include a sustainability evaluation. However, these are often limited by a lack of empirical data or time constraints. A new law requires ex post evaluations of laws, but the period for such assessments has only just begun.

Greece falls into the sample’s bottom ranks (rank 29) with regard to economic sustainability.

The state has adopted a circular economy strategy, but the country’s per capita material footprint is still the highest in the OECD. Recycling performance is poor overall. The government has a clear roadmap for updating and protecting critical infrastructure. The plan for transitioning to a decarbonized energy system by 2050 includes binding goals.

Greece’s unemployment rate has significantly improved since the crisis. Youth unemployment remains a very serious concern, and employment rates are low. Labor market policies have largely been passive, but a new law aims to enhance the vocational education system.

Tax evasion is a serious problem, hampering the ability to generate sufficient funds. Fiscal resilience has improved dramatically since the crisis. Public debt is falling rapidly, though overall remains the EU’s highest, and debt-service costs are high. The country has the OECD’s highest environmental taxes relative to total revenues.

Greece scores relatively poorly in international comparison (rank 25) with regard to social sustainability.

The public education system is still struggling to recover from austerity measures, and remains underfunded and understaffed. Education programs are not well adapted to labor market needs. Poverty levels remain high. The public healthcare system is also underfunded, with significant staff shortages, particularly in rural areas.

Greece has made strides in gender equality, but traditional cultural gender norms persist. Women continue to bear most of the responsibility for family care. The childcare system relies heavily on EU funding and informal family support. Maternity leave provisions have been expanded. Child poverty remains a persistent concern.

The pension system prioritizes the interests of middle-aged and older groups, often at the expense of younger workers. The country has struggled to manage repeated unpredictable inflows of migrants. Capacities have improved, but the state offers few integration programs for migrants, and most are granted only limited access to the labor market.

In the category of environmental sustainability, Greece falls into the sample’s lower-middle ranks (rank 19).

A national climate law was passed in in 2022, and the national climate strategy is binding. The state aims to phase out coal-powered electricity by 2028, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. However, the country ranked near the OECD’s bottom in greenhouse gas intensity growth and carbon emissions from land cover during the 2010s.

Waste and water management and air pollution are all weaknesses. The country has faced significant natural disasters in recent years, including wildfires and floods in 2023. Considerable areas of forest, grasslands and wetlands have been lost over the last decade.

A biodiversity strategy in place, but implementation is the responsibility of regional governments. The country has become more active in global and regional environmental protection initiatives since recovering from its economic crisis, with a focus on the Mediterranean region.