When in crisis, countries may undergo dramatic changes. Look at today’s Greece!
In 2014, while Greece was entangled in her previous major crisis since 2010, I wrote a book that was published under the title Populism and Crisis Politics in Greece (also translated into Greek). Throughout the ultimate pages, the obvious question was naturally posed:
How can Greece exit from its present quandary, reinvigorate the state, and re-enter a virtuous cycle of political activity and economic growth? (p. 134)
My reply at the time consisted of four possible solutions: (1) “the ‘big bang’ solution; (2) the emergence of a new reformist political class; (3) charismatic leadership; and (4) sticking to Europe as a geographical and political determinant [of national politics].”
Fast-forward six full years. As a country, Greece is finally looking at the previous economic and political crisis through its rear-view mirror, but the coronavirus pandemic has thrust it into a new major, multi-faceted crisis – one in which, Greece is doing unexpectedly well. Why?
The reason, I think, is that, almost miraculously, today’s Greece is meeting all four of the foregoing conditions.
Firstly, after the July 2019 elections, Greece has found in the person of K. Mitsotakis, its new prime minister, a leader with significant charismatic qualities, especially his pursuit of the radical idea of turning Greece into a fully liberal democracy. To this purpose, Greece’s new premier has succeeded to form, and bring to the forefront of developments, a new reformist and highly technocratic government that works efficiently towards problem-solving (thus covering the second requirement). Thirdly, the outbreak of covid-19 represents such a large-scale crisis that has made possible the initiation of radical solutions at both the institutional and practical political levels; crisis is being turned into political opportunity. And, fourthly, since all European countries were affected by the coronavirus yet Greece turned out to have one of the most effective responses to it, its good reputation amongst other EU nations has to a large extent been reinstated and it is now considered one of the serious players around the European table.
So far, so good. But still way to go, Greece!
