Hatzis, A., (2013), “Greece’s Reforms Have Only Cracked the Surface”, The Wall Street Journal, 05 December. Last week Ángel Gurría, the secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, visited Athens to present the OECD’s latest economic survey of Greece. Since 2010, the report said, Greece “has made impressive headway in cutting its fiscal and external imbalances and implementing structural reforms to raise labor market flexibility and improve labor …Read More
Greece Needs a Fresh Start
Hatzis, A., (2013), “Greece Needs a Fresh Start”, The New York Times, Room for Debate Column, 01 December. During its tumultuous history modern Greece has always managed to be part of the winning alliances. Right after its independence Greece was attached to the powerful British Empire. In the two world wars Greece was an energetic ally of the western powers. After a ferocious civil war it saved itself from becoming …Read More
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Massacre memories: German car sales and the EZ Crisis in Greece
Fouka, V. and Voth, H.J., (2013), “Massacre memories: German car sales and the EZ Crisis in Greece”, VoxEU, 23 October. The EZ crisis increased north-south conflicts between bailout providers and recipients – especially between Germany and Greece. This column shows evidence that political conflict directly translated into losses of market share for German car producers in Greece – especially in areas where German armed forces committed massacres during World War …Read More
Until Angela Merkel forms a governing coalition, Greece will continue to be in limbo
Exadaktylos, T., (2013), “Until Angela Merkel forms a governing coalition, Greece will continue to be in limbo”, European Politics and Policy Blog, 27 September. Following last weekend’s German elections, Theofanis Exadaktylos writes on the Greek reaction to Angela Merkel’s victory. He notes that the elections received extensive coverage in the Greek media due to their implications for the country’s economic crisis. Nevertheless, the general perception is that Germany is unlikely …Read More
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Is there a path to political union?
Merler, S., (2013), “Is there a path to political union?”, Bruegel, 23 September. Over the last few months and ahead of much anticipated European elections in May 2014, there has been a growing debate about the scope for further integration and leaps towards a form of “political union”. Advocates point to the hard constraints that an incomplete political integration has imposed on the management and the resolution of the euro …Read More
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A new Greek test for Europe
Mody, A., (2013), “A new Greek test for Europe”, Project Syndicate, 16 September. Over the last year, it has been easy to lose sight of the Greek debt crisis. Brimming with official funds, Greece was apparently on the mend. Though privatization plans lagged, the Greeks won high marks for doubling down on fiscal austerity. In Europe’s summer of quiet triumphalism, ever-lower expectations were easy to beat. But Greece is set …Read More
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Elections to the European Parliament and the trouble with vox populi
Piedrafita, S., (2013), “Elections to the European Parliament and the trouble with vox populi”, European Policy Institutes Network, No.22, 22 August. Declining support for the European Union in many member states is causing some disquiet about the possibility of an even lower voter turnout in the upcoming European Parliament (EP) elections to be held next May. This discontent might well be exploited by populist anti-European parties and boost protest-vote participation, …Read More
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Give Greece a break: what politicians need to tell German voters
Chrysoloras, N., (2013), “Give Greece a break: what politicians need to tell German voters”, The Guardian, 5 September. One of the most hotly debated issues in Germany in the runup to the elections is the future of Greece. But, unfortunately, what we mostly hear is the terrible noise of populism and there are hardly any voices of reason. People have started throwing numbers around in the most irresponsible and incomprehensible fashion, without any …Read More
Ireland gets the new Trio Presidency off to a propitious start
Piedrafita, S., (2013), “Ireland gets the new Trio Presidency off to a propitious start”, CEPS Commentary, 28 August. The Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU (January-June 2013) faced numerous challenges, not the least of which was to negotiate the financial framework for the period 2014-2020 and the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy with the European Parliament, together with the pressure to advance the banking agenda. Moreover, the …Read More
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The Transformation of the Greek Party System
Konstantinidis, Nikitas, (2013), “The Transformation of the Greek Party System”, www.greekpublicpolicyforum.org, 11 July. Despite a somewhat promising start, the outgoing coalition government of New Democracy (ND), PASOK, and the Democratic Left proved to be short-lived, giving way to a more compact bipartisan cabinet consisting of only ND and PASOK ministers (at an agreed ratio of two-to-one). Toiling under the shackles of a sclerotic austerity program, the first few true attempts …Read More