Europe in Modern Greek History
The meaning of Europe varies significantly from one national setting to another and this variation is at the heart of the current problems faced by the EU.
‘Europe’, ‘Europeanness’ and ‘European’ have been important themes in the history of modern Greece, from the establishment of the new state in 1832 to the sovereign debt crisis of 2010. ‘Europe’ has served as key reference points in questions of identity, progress, capability, legitimation and strategic interest. Indeed, few nations have experienced ‘Europe’ with such intensity, reacted with so much angst, and witnessed effects of such consequence. Now, in the context of two financial bail- outs and the imposition of tough austerity measures, it is the ‘euro-zone’ that is shaking the Greek economy, state and society to its roots. This turmoil needs to be understood in the context of a sequence of questions and doubts that encompass arts and politics, social integration and economic development. This volume addresses the complexity of Greece’s relationship with ‘Europe’ – examining its manifestations in culture, politics, society, foreign policy and the economy. It deepens our knowledge not only of how modern Greece has reached this point, but also of what Europe is, what it represents, how it may impact domestically, and why it may be viewed differently.
Table of contents
List of Abbreviations
List of Contributors
1. Introduction — Kevin Featherstone
2. Greece and Europe: Progress and Civilization, 1890s –1920s — Michael Llewellyn-Smith
3. Versions of Europe in the Greek Literary Imagination (1929–61) — Roderick Beaton
4. ‘Europe’, ‘Turkey’ and Greek Self-Identity: Antinomic Mutual Perceptions — Stefanos Pesmazoglou
5. The Relevance of ‘Europe’ to Greek Foreign Policy — Spyros Economides
6. The European Union and the Political Economy of the Greek State — George Pagoulatos
7. Contesting Greek Exceptionalism within the European Crisis — Euclides Tsakalotos
8. European Influences in Greece’s Migration Policies: Between ‘Hard’ Impact and ‘Soft’ Influence — Anna Triandafyllidou
9. The Vicissitudes of Identity in a Divided Society: The Case of the Muslim Minority in Western Thrace — Thalia Dragonas
10. Cultural Mismatches: Greek Concepts of Time, Personal Identity, and Authority in the Context of Europe — Renée Hirschon
‘This volume offers a cross-disciplinary perspective on the multifaceted relationship between Greece and Europe…[it] admirably succeeds in highlighting the fact that “Europe” has been a flexible concept for Greeks for many years.’ — The Anglo-Hellenic Review
‘Kevin Featherstone has put together a wonderful collection on the modern Greek condition in the shadow of Europe, taking us through the many moments and facets of its tortured struggle with modernity. In the process, we may be forgiven to venture that if Venizelos could dream of sympoliteia in darker times than today’s, there may be hope still for a post-crisis Greece.’ — Kalypso Nicolaïdis, Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford
‘The juxtaposition and comparison of modern Greek mores with the normative Europe of values and standards of behaviour, as well as the rational Europe of institutions allows the authors of this collection of essays to seek out the anthropological, cultural and socioeconomic features that differentiate the Greeks from other members of the EU. Some believe that “European ideas and values are strongly rooted in Greek culture and the Greek view of the world.” Others point out that “the transposition of EU directives into national law” suffers from the deficiencies in the framework of implementation. The major contribution of this imaginative volume is a cross-disciplined perspective of contemporary Greek history.’— Thanos M. Veremis, Professor Emeritus at Athens University.
Kevin Featherstone is Eleftherios Venizelos Professor of Contemporary Greek Studies and Director of the Hellenic Observatory, London School of Economics. He has written extensively on the politics of the European Union and of modern Greece.