Politics and Policy in Greece : The Challenge of 'Modernisation'

ISBN-13: 9780415376297 / Angielski / Twarda / 2005 / 281 str.

Kevin Featherstone;Kevin Featherstone

Opis

This rare focus on the politics of contemporary Greece explores in particular the country’s processes of public policy-making.

It is more than thirty years since the restoration of democracy in Greece and in this period the country has undergone a number of major changes. Domestic political tensions have arisen from the pressures of ‘Europeanization’ as a consequence of Greece’s membership in the European Union. EU membership has helped define a ‘modernization’ project, latterly associated with Premier Costas Simitis, which clashes with traditional practices and paradigms. In addition, other challenges have arisen: of a multi-ethnic society, of the loss of faith in old ideologies and of the passage of old divisions. Greece now faces pressure to adapt to the external environment, as well as to the constraints of the will and capability of the domestic system.

Politics and Policy in Greece addresses core issues, such as:

* How far has the politics of ‘modernization’ penetrated Greek society?

* How far have reforms to state-economy relations, welfare systems and constitutional rights reflected a liberal agenda and how far have they reflected traditional concerns?

* How has ‘modernization’ affected Greece’s relations with the European Union?

Containing expert overviews and detailed case studies of the dynamics of domestic politics, this accessible and informative volume is essential reading for both Greeks and non-Greeks alike.

Spis treści

Introduction1 Introduction, Kevin Featherstone; Part 1 The Political Process; Chapter 1 The Changing Party System, Christos Lyrintzis; Chapter 2 Elections and Voters, 1974–2004, Ilias Nicolacopoulos; Part 2 The Public Policy Process; Chapter 3 The Role of Experts in the Reform Process in Greece, Stella Ladi; Chapter 4 Interest Groups in Disjointed Corporatism, Kostas A. Lavdas; Chapter 5 Constitutional Reform and the Rule of Law in Greece, Pavlos Eleftheriadis; Chapter 6 Deepening Democracy or Defending the Nation? The Europeanisation of Minority Rights and Greek Citizenship, Dia Anagnostou; Part 3 The Reform Agenda; Chapter 7 The Politics of Privatisation, George Pagoulatos; Chapter 8 The Limits of Engineering Collective Escape, Dimitris Papadimitriou; Part 4 The Reform Agenda; Chapter 9 Pension Reform in Greece, Platon Tinios; Chapter 10 Interest Groups and Health System Reform in Greece, Elias Mossialos, Sara Allin; Chapter 11 Developing Infrastructure as a Learning Process in Greece, Christos J. Paraskevopoulos; Chapter 12 The Europeanisation of Greek Foreign Policy, Spyros Economides;

O autorze

Kevin Featherstone is Eleftherios Venizelos Professor of Contemporary Greek Studies and Director of the Hellenic Observatory at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He has written extensively on the politics of contemporary Greece and of the European Union.