Balkanalysis.com

Notable Public Figures

Karolos Papoulias, President

Georgios Papandreou, Prime Minister (and Foreign Minister)

Giannis Ragousis, Interior Minister

Giorgos Papakonstantinou, Finance Minister

Evangelos Venizelos, Defense Minister

Ieronymos II, Archbishop of Athens

Brands & Distinctions

Tourism, including sites of history and architecture, such as the Acropolis, ancient Olympia and Vergina, Knossos, Mt Olympus and Delphi; ancient philosophy, mathematics and the arts; olive oil, feta cheese, seafood and wine.

Major Industries

Shipping and shipbuilding; tourism; food and tobacco processing; textiles; chemicals, electronics; fishing and agriculture

Key Trade Partners

Italy, Germany, Cyprus, Bulgaria, United Kingdom, France

Main Airports

Athens, Thessaloniki, Iraklio, Hania

Major Ports

Piraeus (for Athens), Thessaloniki, Alexandroupoli, Igoumenitsa, Patras, Iraklio

Overview

Legendary Greece conjures up a myriad of associations and meanings for outsiders, due to its storied past. This maritime gem, one of Europe’s most-visited and most beautiful countries, clings to its traditions – such as Orthodox Christianity – tenaciously. However, its people also display a forward-looking dynamism and have long been known for clever entrepreneurship.

Nevertheless, Greece’s stubborn traditionalism still defines the political scene; some key leaders belong to a few powerful families that ruled the country for much of the 20th century. One side effect of this tendency is the preservation of a nebulous power distribution system marked by nepotism, deceit, backroom dealings and patronage schemes.

The convergence of these detrimental characteristics with a global financial crisis in 2009 has now given Greece an unhappy prominence worldwide due to its financial woes, and their potential implications for the future of the European single currency.

Nevertheless, despite its perceived delinquency in European financial matters, and its continued impasse with Skopje over the ‘Macedonian name issue,’ Greece considers itself an integral part of Europe, a guardian of the continent’s eastern periphery, and the one Balkan country capable of drawing on the kind of financial and political resources accrued over time- in the form of its influential diaspora, global business reach and, of course, its historic image as the birthplace of European civilization.

Outstanding Issues

Chronic issues of maritime and airspace border violations with neighboring Turkey; relations with the European Union, IMF and other global financial players over finding a resolution to the country’s debt crisis; corruption in politics and business; an ongoing showdown with the Republic of Macedonia over the latter’s constitutional name, a stance that continues to hold up Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic integration; a resurgence of violent leftist and anarchist groups, some with underworld connections; illegal immigration and related issues.

Forward Planning: Points of Interest

• The government’s handling of the debt crisis issue, in terms of both public acceptance of austerity measures and relations with the EU and other outside parties
• What the opposition (from both right and left) do for capitalizing on the government’s economic policy problems; potential security risks from violent anarchist groups, especially if similar problems emerge in other European countries also having such groups
• The effect of the country’s current economic and political turbulence on key sectors, such as summer tourism
• Perceived activity, or non-activity, of the government in terms of resolving the chronic ‘name issue’ dispute with neighboring Macedonia
• Relations with an assertive Turkey, and the Cyprus issue