Martens Centre
  • Home
  • About
    • Who we are
    • Team
    • Bodies and Experts
    • Members
  • Publications
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Contact
back

Publications

Greece – Between farce and tragedy: Four realities of Syriza in power

16 September 2015

The period since the election of Syriza to power in January 2015 has been marked by increased political uncertainty, economic instability and a growing polarisation of public attitudes in both Greece and the EU. The reality of Syriza in power has worsened the underlying economic conditions of the Greek economy, reduced the ability of the Greek state to provide essential public services and led to a clear breakdown in trust with other EU members. The election of Syriza to power did not result in a fundamental restructuring of the Greek or European economies, rather their lack of a coherent strategy (beyond reneging on previously agreed support programmes) has set the reform process in Greece back by several years.

The coming to power of Syriza marked the culmination of pent-up public anger and discontent at prevailing economic/political conditions and the impact of such conditions across wider society. Notwithstanding several years of support programmes, the Greek economy requires further reform in order to ensure its long term sustainability. The shortcomings in the assumptions underpinning the initial programmes undertaken by the EU/ECB and IMF were complemented by implementation weaknesses which further eroded public support for the structural adjustments required. This resulted in a clear division arising between those in favour of the support programmes and those opposed. 

The level of financial adjustment required in Greece – over 20% of GDP – imposed significant socio-economic challenges. In the public mind, ownership of the reform process then passed from national bodies to imposed, supra-national institutions, thus increasing resistance at both public and political levels in Greece. Resistance fuelled by populist political parties seeking short-term political gain.

Syriza in power has sought to deliberately widen the gulf between those who acknowledge the long term importance of the many difficult structural reforms required, and those who seek to blame “austerity” for Greece’s current woes. In reality, the experience of Syriza in power has highlighted its complete lack of a defensible economic and political strategy which safeguards Greece’s position in the EU, protects the well-being of its citizens and acknowledges the current standing of the Greek economy.

IN FOCUS is a new series of commentaries in which the Martens Centre looks closely at current policy topics, dissects the available evidence and challenges prevailing opinions.

Download the publication

IN FOCUS

Eoin Drea

Panos Tasiopoulos

  • Crisis
  • Economy
  • EU Member States
  • Eurozone
  • Populism

Related publications

IN FOCUS

Collaborative

Research Papers

Other

Future of Europe

Ukraine

IN FOCUS

Future of Europe

You might also be interested by

E-Health and Data Science in Medicine with Johnson and Johnson’s Xiaoying Wu and Angel Martin

Brussels Bytes - Multimedia

11 Jan 2023

Interview with EP Secretary General Klaus Welle at EIF22

Live-streams - Multimedia

06 Jan 2023

Bridge the Channel – December 2022

Bridge the Channel - Multimedia

20 Dec 2022

EU-Central Asia: An Underdeveloped Relationship

Blog

15 Dec 2022

Women in Foreign Policy

Her and EU - Multimedia

15 Dec 2022

Defence Dialogue Episode 19 – EU-UK Defence Cooperation

Defence Dialogues - Multimedia

13 Dec 2022

The Digital Markets Act with Andreas Schwab, MEP

Brussels Bytes - Multimedia

08 Dec 2022

Tapping Europe’s Offshore Energy Potential: A Way to Enhance Security of Supply

Blog

08 Dec 2022

Fixing Gas Prices Won’t Solve the EU’s Energy Crisis

Blog

18 Oct 2022

Related events

29 - 30 November 2022

European Ideas Forum 2022 2023-02-06

Brussels

In-House Events

15 November 2022

Net@Work 2022 2023-02-06

Double Tree by Hilton, Rue Gineste 3, 1210 Brussels

Common Projects

Stay updated on Martens Centre Activities, Events and Publications

Copyright © 2023 | Martens Centre ALYS

This website uses cookies to improve your experience, click here for more info. ACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Exit mobile version