MacroPolis

Show/Hide Search

Agora

In ancient Athens, the agora was where citizens gathered to hear news, discuss and, later, trade. The agora was the heart of the city’s political, cultural and spiritual life. It is this spirit we hope to channel in this section of the website. Here, the Agora is a public forum for discussing events unfolding in Greece and beyond.

In May 2020, we also launched a podcast called The Agora, delivering insight from our own experts and analysis from special guests. If you enjoy intelligent, lively discussion and want the bigger picture, join us for a stroll through the Agora. Our show is hosted on Acast, but you can also listen to us here:


 

Results 521 to 525 out of 576.

Photo by Can Esenbel [www.mundanepleasures.com] A return to capital markets for Greek banks but no return to domestic lending

In the future we may look back on the past two weeks as a watershed moment for Greek banks following the onset of the twin financial and sovereign debt crisis in 2009. After extensive and well prepared international road shows, financial institutions in Athens attracted unprecedented levels of foreign investors' interest for bond placements and capital-raising initiatives.

Contributor: Jens Bastian

0 Comment(s)

Categories: Economy (316), Greece (477)

Photo by MacroPolis Come back Cleisthenes, all is forgiven

Cleisthenes has a lot to answer for. Yes, he laid the groundwork for Athenian democracy in 507 BC but he also did it after being recalled from exile. As much as he helped transform ancient Greece, he a left dangerous legacy for its modern version. Since Cleisthenes, too many Greek politicians believe that some time away from the limelight can absolve them of any sins and, like the man from classical Athens, make a heroic return.

Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis

4 Comment(s)

Categories: Politics (373), Greece (477)

Photo by Myrto Papadopoulos [www.myrtopapadopoulos.com] The Greek crisis we don’t see

The economic impact of the Greek crisis has been well publicised. A recession that began in 2008 has led to GDP contracting by a quarter, while unemployment has risen above 27 percent. Greece’s fiscal consolidation effort has also received much attention. A general government deficit of 15.6 percent in 2009 was transformed into a small surplus in 2013 – one of the sharpest adjustments the world has ever seen.

Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis

1 Comment(s)

Categories: Economy (316), Society (134), Greece (477)

Photo by Can Esenbel [www.mundanepleasure.com] Greece’s return to capital markets: Why not try a diaspora bond first?

Greece’s return to international capital markets during the course of 2014 is currently the talk of town in Athens. Sandwiched between Greece’s six-month EU presidency and reports of a primary budget surplus, whose size appears to be changing on a weekly basis, the objective of returning to capital markets is taking on ever more significance.

Contributor: Jens Bastian

0 Comment(s)

Categories: Economy (316), Greece (477)

Photo by MacroPolis The wrong prescription

As is customary by now the troika’s return to Athens has been accompanied by a flurry of speculation about how targets will be met. This time the focus is on the structural rather than fiscal side. This simply means replacing the back and forth between Greece and its lenders over excruciating details of how money will be saved with a similar tug of war over the minutiae of reforms.

Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis

2 Comment(s)

Categories: Economy (316), Society (134), Greece (477)

Results 521 to 525 out of 576.