Agora
Posts in Society
Sowing the seeds of anomie in Greece
In his opening speech to Labour MPs after the party’s historic election win in May 1997, Tony Blair implored the party’s lawmakers to be “whiter than white, purer than pure”. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out that way.
Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis
Categories: Politics (407), Society (149), Greece (519)
Mentioning the war so we don't have to mention the war
Fawlty Towers was never a popular show in Greece and the concept of not mentioning the war is not one familiar with Greeks. In fact, Greece is a country where history is often viewed as a collection of unresolved issues - such as the Asia Minor Catastrophe, the Second World War, the Civil War and the military dictatorship – that continue to shape the present. The sense that there has been a repeated lack of closure is prevalent at each new crisis, each key turning point in the country’s progression.
Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis
Categories: Europe (289), Politics (407), Society (149), Greece (519)
![Photo by Myrto Papadopoulos [www.myrtopapadopoulos.com]](resources/toolip/img-thumb/2014/08/28/ndsupporters_myrto_2808-large.jpg "Photo by Myrto Papadopoulos [www.myrtopapadopoulos.com]")
Samaras strays out of line in search for new normal
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has a habit of defending his government by saying that his aim is to make Greece “a normal European country.” Whatever he may mean by this and however genuine he may be in wanting Greece to recover from its long crisis, this is an infuriatingly patronising comment. Intentionally or not, it aligns Greece’s prime minister with all the cranks in Europe and Greece’s misinformed critics beyond who view the country as some kind of basket case.
Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis
Categories: Europe (289), Politics (407), Society (149), Greece (519)
Our most popular stories in 2014
These are the stories that were read most in each of our four sections (Politics, economy, society and The Agora) during 2014. We thank you for your support and look forward to providing more top quality analysis in 2015. We wish you all a healthy and happy New Year.
Categories: Politics (407), Economy (341), Society (149), Greece (519)
Greece's biggest problem? Society's lack of openness
I started writing my book, “The Thirteenth Labour of Hercules”, a couple of months after the June 2012 elections. In that nailbiting showdown, a bruised and battered electorate narrowly opted for the pro-bailout camp, headed by New Democracy, over the fiery, austerity-bashing rhetoric of SYRIZA. As has been confirmed by numerous key players since then, the formation of a coalition government willing to stay within the confines the Greek programme was not enough for some in Europe, who kept on pushing for Greece to be pushed out of the eurozone for weeks after.
Contributor: Yannis Palaiologos
Categories: Politics (407), Society (149), Greece (519)