1.
Greece
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Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, historically also known as Hellas, is a country in southeastern Europe, with a population of approximately 11 million as of 2015. Athens is the capital and largest city, followed by Thessaloniki. Greece is strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, situated on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the northeast. Greece consists of nine regions, Macedonia, Central Greece, the Peloponnese, Thessaly, Epirus, the Aegean Islands, Thrace, Crete. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, the Cretan Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin and the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km in length, featuring a vast number of islands, eighty percent of Greece is mountainous, with Mount Olympus being the highest peak at 2,918 metres. From the eighth century BC, the Greeks were organised into various independent city-states, known as polis, which spanned the entire Mediterranean region and the Black Sea. Greece was annexed by Rome in the second century BC, becoming a part of the Roman Empire and its successor. The Greek Orthodox Church also shaped modern Greek identity and transmitted Greek traditions to the wider Orthodox World, falling under Ottoman dominion in the mid-15th century, the modern nation state of Greece emerged in 1830 following a war of independence. Greeces rich historical legacy is reflected by its 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, among the most in Europe, Greece is a democratic and developed country with an advanced high-income economy, a high quality of life, and a very high standard of living. A founding member of the United Nations, Greece was the member to join the European Communities and has been part of the Eurozone since 2001. Greeces unique cultural heritage, large industry, prominent shipping sector. It is the largest economy in the Balkans, where it is an important regional investor, the names for the nation of Greece and the Greek people differ from the names used in other languages, locations and cultures. The earliest evidence of the presence of human ancestors in the southern Balkans, dated to 270,000 BC, is to be found in the Petralona cave, all three stages of the stone age are represented in Greece, for example in the Franchthi Cave. Neolithic settlements in Greece, dating from the 7th millennium BC, are the oldest in Europe by several centuries and these civilizations possessed writing, the Minoans writing in an undeciphered script known as Linear A, and the Mycenaeans in Linear B, an early form of Greek. The Mycenaeans gradually absorbed the Minoans, but collapsed violently around 1200 BC and this ushered in a period known as the Greek Dark Ages, from which written records are absent. The end of the Dark Ages is traditionally dated to 776 BC, the Iliad and the Odyssey, the foundational texts of Western literature, are believed to have been composed by Homer in the 7th or 8th centuries BC. With the end of the Dark Ages, there emerged various kingdoms and city-states across the Greek peninsula, in 508 BC, Cleisthenes instituted the worlds first democratic system of government in Athens
2.
Greek government-debt crisis
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The Greek government-debt crisis is the sovereign debt crisis faced by Greece in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2007–08. The government enacted 12 rounds of tax increases, spending cuts, and reforms from 2010 to 2016, at that time, debt levels had reached €323bn or some €30,000 per capita. The 2001 introduction of the euro reduced trade costs among Eurozone countries, labour costs increased more in peripheral countries such as Greece relative to core countries such as Germany, eroding Greeces competitive edge. As a result, Greeces current account deficit rose significantly, a trade deficit means that a country is consuming more than it produces, which requires borrowing/direct investment from other countries. Both the Greek trade deficit and budget deficit rose from below 5% of GDP in 1999 to peak around 15% of GDP in the 2008–2009 periods, one driver of the investment inflow was Greeces membership in the EU and the Eurozone. As the Great Recession spread to Europe, the amount funds lent from the European core countries to the countries such as Greece began to decline. A country facing a “sudden stop” in private investment and a debt load typically allows its currency to depreciate to encourage investment. This was not possible while Greece remained on the Euro, instead, to become more competitive, Greek wages fell nearly 20% from mid-2010 to 2014, a form of deflation. This significantly reduced income and GDP, resulting in a recession, decline in tax receipts. Unemployment reached nearly 25%, from below 10% in 2003, significant government spending cuts helped the Greek government return to a primary budget surplus by 2014. In January 2010, the Greek Ministry of Finance published Stability, the report listed five main causes, poor GDP growth, government debt and deficits, budget compliance and data compatibility. Causes found by others included excess government spending, current account deficits, after 2008, GDP growth was lower than the Greek national statistical agency had anticipated. The global financial crisis had a large negative impact on GDP growth rates in Greece. Two of the countrys largest earners, tourism and shipping were badly affected by the downturn, the Ministry intended to implement real expenditure cuts that would allow expenditures to grow 3. 8% from 2009 to 2013, well below expected inflation at 6. 9%. Overall revenues were expected to grow 31. 5% from 2009 to 2013, secured by new, higher taxes, the deficit needed to decline to a level compatible with a declining debt-to-GDP ratio. The debt increased in 2009 due to the higher than expected government deficit, in addition to structural reforms, permanent and temporary austerity measures were needed. After 1993, the debt-to-GDP ratio remained above 94%, the crisis caused the debt level to exceed the maximum sustainable level. Budget compliance was acknowledged to need improvement, for 2009 it was found to be a lot worse than normal, due to economic control being more lax in a year with political elections
3.
Syriza
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The Coalition of the Radical Left, mostly known by the syllabic abbreviation Syriza, is a left-wing political party in Greece, founded in 2004 as a coalition of left-wing and radical left parties. The party colors are red, green, and purple, the current leader and prime minister of Syriza is Alexis Tsipras. Review the role of the European Union and redetermine Greeces position on it, the Space also provided the common ground from which several of the member parties and organizations launched the Greek Social Forum, part of the larger European Social Forum. The defining moment for the birth of Syriza came with the election of 2004. Most of the participants of the Space sought to develop a platform that could lead to an electoral alliance. This led to the formation of the Coalition of the Radical Left. In the election, the coalition gathered 241,539 votes, all six were members of Synaspismós, the largest of the coalition parties. This led to tension within the coalition. After the 2004 election, the parties accused Synaspismós of not honoring an agreement to have one of its members of parliament resign so that Yannis Banias of the AKOA could take his seat. Tension built up and resulted in the split of the Internationalist Workers Left, the frame of the crisis within SYRIZA was the reluctance of Synaspismós to adopt and maintain the political agreement for a clear denial of centre-left politics. The crisis ended in December 2004 with the 4th convention of Synaspismós, the coalition ticket in the municipality of Athens was headed by Alexis Tsipras, proposed by Alavanos who declared Synaspismóss opening to the new generation. On 16 September 2007, Syriza gained 5. 0% of the vote in the 2007 Greek legislative election, opinion polls had already indicated that the Coalition was expected to make significant gains in the election, with predictions ranging from 4% to 5% of the electorate. Prior to the election, on 22 June, the parties had agreed on a common declaration. The Coalition of 2007 has also expanded from its composition in 2004. On 20 June 2007, the Communist Organization of Greece announced its participation into the Coalition, on 21 August the environmentalist Ecological Intervention also joined, and on 22 August 2007, the Democratic Social Movement also announced its participation in the Coalition. On 2 September, the Areios Pagos refused to include the title of DIKKI in the Syriza electoral alliance and this was criticised by Syriza and DIKKI as inappropriate interference by the courts in party political activity. On 27 November 2007, Alavanos announced that, for private reasons, the 5th party congress of Synaspismós elected Alexis Tsipras, a municipal councillor for the municipality of Athens, as party president on 10 February 2008. Alavanos retained the leadership of Syriza, however, as Tsipras was not at that time a member of parliament
4.
New Democracy (Greece)
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The New Democracy, also referred to as ND by its initials, is a liberal-conservative political party in Greece. In modern Greek politics, New Democracy has been the main political party. The party was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and in the year it formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic. New Democracy is a member of the European Peoples Party, the Centrist Democrat International, New Democracy was founded on 4 October 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis, in the beginning of the metapolitefsi era following the fall of the Greek military junta. He intended New Democracy to be a modern and progressive political party than the right-wing parties that ruled Greece before the 1967 Greek coup détat. The next major issue for the New Democracy cabinet was the creation of the Constitution of Greece, in the 1977 election, New Democracy won again a large parliamentary majority of 171 seats, albeit with a reduced percentage of popular vote. Under Karamanlis, Greece redefined its relations with NATO and tried to resolve the Cyprus dispute following the Turkish invasion of the island and it was the first conference of any Greek political party whose delegates were elected by the members. Meanwhile, Karamanlis relinquished the premiership in 1980 and was elected as President of Greece by the parliament, georgios Rallis was elected as the new leader of New Democracy and succeeded Karamanlis in premiership. 87% share of the vote and 115 seats. In the same day, on 18 October 1981, New Democracy was also defeated in the first Greek election to the European Parliament, in the subsequent elections of November 1989, New Democracy took one more comfortable win, increasing its share to 46. Eventually, in the 1990 election Mitsotakis New Democracy defeated once again Papandreous PASOK with a lead of 8. 28%, in foreign policy, the priorities were the restoration of confidence among Greeces economic and political partners, NATO and the United States. In the 1993 elections, New Democracy suffered a defeat with 39. 30% of the vote, something that led to Mitsotakis resignation. In the early 1996 legislative election, New Democracy was defeated again by Costas Simitis PASOK registering 38. 12%, however, in the spring of 1997 a new conference took place, in order to elect a new president among others. Kostas Karamanlis, nephew of the founder, was elected the sixth president of New Democracy. The regions that consistently support New Democracy include the Peloponnese, Central Macedonia, on the other hand, the party is weak in Crete, the Aegean Islands, Attica and West Greece. On 16 September 2007, Kostas Karamanlis won re-election with a majority in Parliament. You have spoken loud and clear and chosen the course the country will take in the few years. On 2 September 2009 Karamanlis announced his intention to call an election, the parliament was dissolved on 9 September, and the 2009 legislative election was held on 4 October. New Democracys share of the vote dropped to 33. 47% and they won only 91 of 300 seats
5.
PASOK
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It was founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou as a democratic socialist and left-wing Venizelist party. As a result of the 1981 legislative election, PASOK became Greeces first left-of-centre party to win a majority in the Hellenic Parliament, formerly one of the two major parties in Greek politics, it has lost much of its popular support as a result of the Greek debt crisis. When the crisis started PASOK was the party with George Papandreou as Prime Minister. The party was a part of two coalition governments from 2011 to 2015 during which unprecedented austerity measures were taken in response to the crisis. The first members of the party were the organizers of the collapse of the military junta of 1967–1974. Its founder was Andreas Papandreou, son of the late Greek liberal leader and its founding mottos were National Independence, Popular Sovereignty, Social Emancipation, Democratic Process. Papandreou, a powerful orator and charismatic leader, explicitly rejected the ideological heritage of his father. At the November 1977 elections, however, PASOK eclipsed the EK-ND, doubled its share of the vote and won 92 seats, becoming the main opposition party. At the October 1981 national elections the PASOK won a victory with 48% of the vote and capturing 173 seats. He proved to be an excellent negotiator when it came to securing benefits, for example, in 1985 he openly threatened Jacques Delors to veto the entry of Spain and Portugal in the Community in order to secure more monetary aid for Greece. In 1986, the PASOK government amended the Greek constitution to remove most powers from the President and give wider authority to the Prime Minister, civil marriages, not consecrated by religious ceremony, were recognized as equally valid with religious weddings. At the June 1985 elections, received 46% of the vote and won 161 seats and it continued to be popular for much of its second term, especially in March 1987 when Andreas Papandreou successfully handled a crisis in the Aegean with Turkey. By late 1988 however, both the popularity and Papandreous health had declined. PASOK lost the June 1989 elections with 40% of the vote while the opposing New Democracy received 44. 3%, PASOK had changed the electoral law before the elections, making it harder for the leading party to form a majority government, so the legislature was deadlocked. Another election in November produced a similar result. After a brief period of a coalition government, in which PASOK participated. Its representation in the Parliament shrunk to 121 MPs in 1990, in opposition, PASOK underwent a leadership crisis when Andreas Papandreou was prosecuted over his supposed involvement in the Bank of Crete scandal. He was eventually acquitted and, in a reversal of fortunes
6.
Crete
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Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, 88th-largest island in the world and the fifth-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica. Crete and a number of surrounding islands and islets constitute the region of Crete, the capital and the largest city is Heraklion. As of 2011, the region had a population of 623,065, Crete forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece, while retaining its own local cultural traits. It was once the centre of the Minoan civilization, which is regarded as the earliest recorded civilization in Europe. The island is first referred to as Kaptara in texts from the Syrian city of Mari dating from the 18th century BC, repeated later in Neo-Assyrian records and it was also known in ancient Egyptian as Keftiu, strongly suggesting a similar Minoan name for the island. The current name of Crete is thought to be first attested in Mycenaean Greek texts written in Linear B, through the words
7.
Golden Dawn (political party)
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The Popular Association – Golden Dawn, usually known simply as Golden Dawn, is an ultranationalist, far-right political party in Greece. It is led by Nikolaos Michaloliakos, scholars and media have described it as neo-Nazi and fascist, though the group rejects these labels. Members have expressed admiration of the former Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas of the 4th of August Regime and they have also made use of alleged Nazi symbolism, and have praised figures of Nazi Germany in the past. According to academic sources, the group is racist and xenophobic, Michaloliakos began the foundations of what would become Golden Dawn in 1980, when he published the first issue of the right-wing, pro-military junta journal with that name. In this context Golden Dawn had its origins in the movement that worked towards a return to right-wing military dictatorship in Greece, the trial began on 20 April 2015. Golden Dawn first received attention in 1991, and in 1993 registered as a political party. By the mid-2000s, Golden Dawn had redirected its attention to opposing non-European, Golden Dawn had temporarily ceased political operations in 2005 and was absorbed by the Patriotic Alliance. The Alliance, in turn, ceased operations after Michaloliakos withdrew support in the spring of 2007, Golden Dawn held its sixth congress, in March 2007, where party officials announced the resumption of political activities. At local elections on 7 November 2010 Golden Dawn got 5. 3% of the vote in the municipality of Athens, in some neighbourhoods with large immigrant communities it reached 20%. It received 7% of the vote, enough for the party to enter the Hellenic Parliament for the first time with 21 seats. Following a second election in June 2012, this was reduced to 18 seats, as a result of the January 2015 Greek national elections, the party became the third largest in Parliament, despite winning only 17 seats. In 2015, Golden Dawn outlined their National Plan for Greeces recovery from the crisis as follows, Increase agricultural production. Reward hard work and implement a meritocracy, exploit Greeces oil, gas, and precious metal reserves. Audit and erase part of the debt which they deem illegal. Demand that the German government repay a loan that was forced upon Greece during the Axis occupation, form free trade agreements with Russia, Iran, and China, and remove the red tape blocking trade. Expand Greeces territorial waters to 12 nautical miles as agreed by the UNCLOS, repeal Members of Parliaments immunity to criminal prosecution, arrest, and detention while in office. Remove party funding obtained from taxes and rely instead on donations, reduce the size of the Hellenic Parliament to 180 members. Provide tax relief for investors, businessmen, and shipowners who employ only Greek workers, dismiss those recruited illegally into the public sector as a result of cronyism
8.
Communist Party of Greece
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The Communist Party of Greece is a Marxist–Leninist political party in Greece. Founded in 1918 as the Socialist Labour Party of Greece, it is the oldest party active in the Greek political scene, the October Revolution of the Bolsheviks in Russia in 1917 gave impetus for the foundation of Communist parties in many countries all over the globe. ΚΚΕ was founded on 4 November 1918 as the Socialist Labour Party of Greece, the party was run by a five-member central committee which consisted of Nikos Dimitratos, D. Ligdopoulos, M. Sideris, A. Arvanitis and S. Kokkinos. The background of KKE has roots in more than 60 years of small socialist, anarchist and communist groups, at the Second Congress of the SEKE in April 1920, the party decided to affiliate with Comintern, an international communist organisation founded in Moscow in 1919. It changed its name to the Socialist Labour Party of Greece-Communist, a new central committee was elected, which included Nikos and Panaghis Dimitratos, Yannis Kordatos, G. Doumas and M. Sideris. At the Third Extraordinary Congress of the SEKE-K in November 1924, pandelis Pouliopoulos was elected as general-secretary. Ever since, the party has functioned on the basis of democratic centralism, KKE members propagated this position both on the front – which provoked accusations of treason from the Greek government – as well as in the mainland. KKE played a prominent role in strikes, anti-war demonstrations, foundation of trade unions, KKE and other leftist political forces fostered the creation of labor unions in all sectors, including the General Greek Workers Confederation, which shared common goals with KKE. Such legislation was used to prosecute KKE members and other leftist activists. Under the Idionymon all members of the Communist Party of Greece, the first prison camps for left wing citizens and communists were founded in that era. KKE collaborated with other newly founded Communist Parties to oppose the rise of the Fascist movement in Europe, in 1932, the Comintern decreed that anti-Fascist fronts be formed internationally. KKE responded by creating the Peoples Front, which was the largest Marxist anti-Fascist organisation in Greece prior to the dictatorship of Ioannis Metaxas, the party was banned in 1936 by the dictatorial 4th of August Regime of Metaxas, and brutally persecuted by his security chief, Konstantinos Maniadakis. Many KKE members were imprisoned or exiled on isolated Aegean islands and this policy was reiterated several times throughout the pre-war era. The main impetus for their demand was the ethnic and religious minorities then living inside Greek borders in Northern Greece, KKE opposed any geo-strategic game in the area which would use minorities to start a new imperialistic war in the region. At its Third Party Congress in 1924, KKE announced its policy for the self-determination of minorities, in 1924, KKE expressed the official position of the Third International for independent Macedonia and Thrace. Some members disagreed with this, but it remained the position of the party. KKE was seen by many as a party policy was the detachment of large areas of northern Greece. According to Richard Clogg this was dictated by Comintern and hurt the popularity of Communism at the time, Nikos Zachariadis, General Secretary of the party, officially renounced KKEs policy of secession in 1945
9.
Rena Dourou
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Irene Rena Dourou is a Greek political scientist and politician of the Coalition of the Radical Left. Since September 2014, she has serving as Regional Governor of Attica. Born 1974 to an officer and a stay-at-home mother, whom Dourou later described as conservative yet open-minded. Active in the movement, she helped founding Synaspismos Youth in 1995. Dourou took up her studies to become a teacher at Athens University, following her graduation she was rewarded a scholarship to University of Essex in the United Kingdom where she enrolled in political science and earned a masters degree. Though Dourou was encouraged to pursue a Ph. D. she decided to return to Greece, apart from Greek, Dourou is fluent in English, French, Italian and Turkish. In the two legislative elections of May and June 2012, she was elected a member of the Hellenic Parliament for the suburban Athens B constituency. The incident caused an uproar, both nationally and internationally, and was seen as a moment of revelation regarding Golden Dawns violent agenda. Following the elections, Dourou was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet of Alexis Tsipras, however, she fought her way through male dominance and sexism, defining Syrizas defence and foreign policy, as to be increasingly described her partys rising star. For her all-in decision, she gained further respect, being referred to as the first member of parliament to do so. Running a door-to-door campaign on a platform called Power of Life, she challenged incumbent Giannis Sgouros who ran for the social-liberal Social Values party. Though in the runoff ballot, Sgouros had the backing of both Nea Dimokratia and PASOK parties, Dourou defeated him with 50. 83% of the popular vote. Ahead of Syrizas victory at the January 2015 legislative election, her election as governor was widely described as Syrizas biggest victory so far. In charge of an annual budget, she immediately increased social welfare spending from €1. 9m to €13. 5m in order to establish food banks. She also ordered tens of thousands disconnected from electricity to be reconnected and she was criticized by Minister of Administrative Reform Kyriakos Mitsotakis for supporting 19 mayors who refused to hand over municipal workers files for evaluation. Dourou was heavily criticized for her decision to scrap four tenders for waste management plants and it was estimated that her decision lost 200 million of funding with ecological implications and a lack of capacity in the Attica waste management system. Deputy Development Minister Notis Mitarakis called on Dourou to “realize the difference between governing and protesting. ”He also argued that the Attica governor could not cancel the tenders on her own. Dourou is in favor of the separation of the church and state and took an oath when she was sworn in as governor, eliciting criticism from conservative
10.
Greek local elections, 2010
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The 2010 Greek local elections were held on 7 November 2010 and 14 November 2010 to elect representatives to Greeces restructured local authorities, comprising 13 regions and 325 municipalities. Traditionally, candidates at local elections do not run under the name of any party as the constitution only foresees the participation of electoral lists. Despite this theoretical independence and distinction, for all practical purposes most candidates run as local front organisations for political parties, citizens will decide in todays election if we will hold steady on the path of salvation. Or if we go back to decay and to the Greece of bankruptcy. In the municipalities, as well as the regions, any candidate can participate in the 1st round, if the leading candidate doesnt have the required 50%+1 of the votes, then a second round is held between the two leading candidates of the 1st round. Source, Hellenic Ministry of the Interior Notes, † Ioannis Dimaras was elected a parliament member with Panhellenic Socialist Movement in the National Elections of 2009, § Alexios Mitropoulos is a member of the National Council of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement. ‡ Alekos Alavanos is a prominent member of the Coalition of Radical Left, prime Minister George Papandreou said that he would continue with tough austerity measures to alleviate Greeces debt burden following a narrow victory in the election
11.
Ecologist Greens
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The Ecologists Greens are a Greek Green ecologist political party. It has existed since 2002, yet the ecologist movement in Greece dates many years and was characterised by a reluctance to become involved in the political scene. They are a member of the European Green party, the 2004 Ecologists Greens participated for the first time in elections 2004 European Elections with Michalis Tremopoulos in the top of the list and they received 0. 67%. At its 5th Congress in March 2007, the party decided to contest the 2007 Greek legislative election, nanos Valaoritis, a distinguished living Greek poet, became the partys leading candidate in the 2007 Greek legislative election. During 29 &30 of March 2008 the annual congress of the party took place in Athens at the Gini building of the National Technical University of Athens, the annual congress is the highest political entity of the party and was attended by a record of 235 members. Members of the party are recently reaching 700, with the 2007 Greek legislative election, its first general election, the party became the sixth largest party in Greece and the largest party without parliamentary representation. In the December 6-7-8 Party General Assembly it was decided to contest the 2009 European Elections, the Ecologists Greens managed to elect Michalis Tremopoulos as MEP, but they narrowly failed to gain representation in the following national elections in October 2009. Nevertheless, their share of the vote increased to 2. 53% gaining approximately 100,000 more votes than in 2007, in January 2015, the Ecologists Greens decided to collaborate with SYRIZA. Alexis Tsipras called for unity against the Memorandum and the Ecologists Greens decided to support SYRIZAs electoral list for the legislative election. Giorgos Dimaras was reelected and Giannis Tsironis was elected for the first time, Tsironis was reappointed Alternate Minister of Environment in the second Tsipras cabinet on 23 September 2015. European Green Party Official web site European Green Party profile of the party
12.
Central Greece (region)
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Central Greece Region is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. The region occupies the half of the traditional region of Central Greece. To the south it borders the regions of Attica and the Peloponnese, to the west the region of West Greece and to the north the regions of Thessaly, the Central Greece region was established in the 1987 administrative reform. With the 2010 Kallikratis plan, its powers and authority were redefined and extended, along with Thessaly, it is supervised by the Decentralized Administration of Thessaly and Continental Greece based at Larissa. The region is based at Lamia and is divided into five units, Boeotia, Euboea, Evrytania, Phocis and Phthiotis. The regions governor is, since 1 January 2011, Klearchos Pergantas, biggest towns in each regional unit, according to the census of 2001, Official website
6.3
12.7