Greek Politics in Crisis: Challenges to the Open Society
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Date
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Friday, 29 November 2013
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Venue
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Shaw Library, Old Building, LSE
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Time
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One-day Conference
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Chairs
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Kevin Featherstone, Eleftherios Venizelos Professor of Contemporary Greek Studies & Professor of European Politics; Director, Hellenic Observatory, LSE
Heather Grabbe, Director, Open Society European Policy Institute
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One day conference organised by the Hellenic Observatory, LSE and the Open Society European Policy Institute, Brussels
For more information on the Open Society European Policy Institute click here
Foreword
The depth of the economic recession in Greece inevitably poses major political and social issues. On a scale comparable to that of the Wall Street crash of 1929, and at a level not experienced by any other EU member since 1945, Greece has grappled with turning around its economy. Indeed, it has already achieved the biggest fiscal adjustment seen in Europe since the end of the Second World War.
But, the street protests, the loss of support by the established political parties, and the public disillusionment are evidence of the severe strains on the political system. And the crisis has brought into much sharper relief some of the underlying problems of the polity, built up over decades. In this conference, we will explore the crisis impacts on politics and political activity, from the grass-roots to the state institutions, in order to explore the ramifications for Greece’s future path.
Moreover, the crisis has brought into much sharper relief some of the underlying problems of the polity, built up over decades. Political parties have lost the trust of voters, and politically motivated violence has become an urgent issue. Social tensions around migration have been stoked up by political actors, while the public administration is struggling to reform its methods of handling asylum and migration.
Can Greece exit the crisis with a more open and inclusive society, a state more responsive to future needs, and with new forms of political leadership?
Professor Kevin Featherstone, Director, Hellenic Observatory, LSE
Heather Grabbe, Director, Open Society European Policy Institute
SESSION 1: Is this ‘An Age of Extremes?’ Interpreting the new electoral behaviour
Protest, revenge, or belief? Explaining extremist voting in Greece
Vassiliki Georgiadou, Associate Professor of Political Science, Panteion University
The banality of Golden Dawn support
Sofia Vasilopoulou, Lecturer in Politics, University of York
Daphne Halikiopoulou, Lecturer in Comparative Politics, University of Reading
Discussant:
Paul Taggart, Professor and Head of Politics; Jean Monnet Chair, University of Sussex
SESSION 2 : An age of resistance? Street protests and a new civil society
Is Greece a modern country? A critical reading of Greek protests
Anna Triandafyllidou, Professor, Global Governance Programme, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence, Italy
Rage and Protest: The case of the Greek piazza movement
Marilena Simiti, Assistant Professor, Department of European and International Relations University of Piraeus & Hellenic Observatory Visiting Fellow
Politics in the Age of Resistance
Costas Douzinas, Professor of Law; Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, University of London
Discussants:
Kenneth Newton, Emeritus Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Southampton
Mary Kaldor, Professor of Global Governance; Director of the Civil Society and Human Security Research Unit, LSE
SESSION 3: The state as a block to the open society
Public administration and the break-up of the public sphere
Aristos Doxiadis, Venture Capital Professional, Partner at Openfund
Looking at the open society from two different angles: as a member of an NGO and from a government post
Angelos Syrigos, Assistant Professor of International Law & Foreign Policy, Panteion University; Board Member, Transparency International
Discussant:
Catherine Fieschi , Director, Counterpoint
CONCLUSIONS: Future leadership - what visions for the open society?
An open discussion with participants from previous sessions chaired by Professor Kevin Featherstone
Discussants:
Julien Etienne, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Centre for Analysis Risk & Regulation CARR, LSE
Maro Pantazidou, Independent researcher and facilitator; Lead Advisor, Learning and Accountability, Amnesty International
Marilena Simiti, Assistant Professor, Department of European and International Relations University of Piraeus
