Political Lessons from Greece: A Case of Unlikely Democratic Resilience

Peaceful, Secure & Empowered Societies IRT

Explore how Greek democracy survived, and was reshaped by, more than a decade of profound economic, social, and political strain.

Senate Room

Theme: Political Lessons from Greece: A Case of Unlikely Democratic ResilienceHosted by the Peaceful, Secure and Empowered Societies (PSES) Interdisciplinary Research Theme at the University of Glasgow, and the Greek Politics Specialist Group (GPSG) of the Political Studies Association (PSA), this event will revisit Greece’s crisis decade as a complex and uneven process marked by resilience, adaptation, and significant costs. Once widely portrayed as the emblem of Eurozone crisis mismanagement, Greece experienced deep austerity, external constraint, and social dislocation that tested the limits of democratic consent and institutional trust.This symposium aims to reframe Greece not as a symbol of crisis, but as a laboratory of democratic resilience, demonstrating how democratic systems endure prolonged stress, how reform is negotiated under constraint, and what is lost as well as preserved in the process. It asks what kind of resilience emerged, for whom, and at what long-term social and political cost. Programme09:45–10:00 - Registration 10:00–10:15 - WelcomeProfessor Sara Carter, Head of the College of Social Sciences, University of GlasgowProfessor Georgios Karyotis, Co-Lead of ‘Peaceful, Secure and Empowered Societies’ (PSES) 10:15–11:00 - Keynote SpeechGeorge A. Papandreou, Prime Minister of Greece (2009-2011)Rapporteur for Democracy at the Council of Europe 11:00–11:30 - Coffee Break 11:30–12:30 - Panel 1, Sponsored by ‘Political Economy Futures Forum’ (PEFF)Crisis Management and Economic Governance: Greece in Comparative PerspectiveChair: Dr Sean Vanatta (Co-lead of PEFF, University of Glasgow)Greece and the Global Economic Crisis: Comparative Trajectories and Political Uses of CrisisDr Maha Rafi Atal &amp; Dr Franziska Paul (Co-leads of PEFF, University of Glasgow)Fiscal Transformation and Policy Responses in Crisis GreeceProfessor Panayiotis Tsakloglou, Athens University of Economics and Business; Deputy Minister for Social Insurance at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (2020-25)Pension Reform and Welfare State Resilience under AusterityProfessor Platon Tinios, Professor Emeritus, University of Piraeus. Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Greece (1996-2004), specializing in the economic analysis of social policy. 12:30–13:30 - Lunch 13:30–14:30 - Panel 2Greece in Europe and the World: Security, Identity, and Collective ActionChair: Dr Asli Ozcelik Olcay (Co-lead of PSES, University of Glasgow)Navigating Crisis in the European Union: Greece and Lessons for Collective ActionProfessor Othon Anastasakis (University of Oxford); Director of the European Studies Centre; Director of South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX)The United States in the Kaleidoscope of Greek Society and Politics (1974–2024)Dr Lamprini Rori (Assistant Professor, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) &amp; Dr Eirini Karamouzi (Senior Lecturer in Contemporary History, University of Sheffield) [hybrid]Greek Foreign and Security Policy under Stress. Lessons Learned and Insights for Decision-MakersProfessor Panayotis Tsakonas, Professor of International Relations and Security Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens 14:30–15:00 - Coffee Break 15:00–16:15 - Panel 3Democracy under Strain: Rights, Trust, and Institutional ChangeChair: Professor Myrto Tsakatika (University of Glasgow)Gender, Inequality, and Social Change in Crisis and Post-Crisis GreeceProfessor Antigone Lyberaki, Professor of Economics at Panteion University in Athens; Former MP and ‘Solidarity Now’ DirectorThe Resilience of Democracy and Levels of Political Trust in Contemporary GreeceProfessor Dimitris A. Sotiropoulos, Professor of Political Science, National and Kapodistrian University of AthensFrom Exclusion to Recognition: The Path to Same-Sex Marriage in GreeceProfessor Katerina Fountedaki, Professor of Civil Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Main drafter of equality in civil marriage legislation [hybrid]Executive Governance, Institutional Adaptation and Accountability in GreeceProfessor Dimitris Papadimitriou, Professor of Political Science, University of Manchester; Vice-Dean for Social Responsibility and Inclusion 16:15–16:30 - Closing RemarksDr Dimitris Skleparis (Newcastle University) &amp; Dr Vassiliki (Billy) Tsagkroni (Leiden University) ‘Greek Politics Specialist Group’ (GPSG) of the Political Studies Association (PSA) This event is taking place in-person at the University of Glasgow. Catering will be provided. Full programme, including speaker names and session topics, will be released closer to the event date. Stevenson Trust Evening EventIn Conversation with George A. Papandreou: Democracy, Crisis and ResilienceHow do democracies navigate periods of deep crisis? What lessons – positive, ambivalent, or cautionary – can Europe draw from Greece’s turbulent decade? Join us for a special In Conversation event with former Greek Prime Minister George A. Papandreou, reflecting on leadership, governance, and democratic resilience in an era of global uncertainty. The event will include a moderated Q&amp;A with opportunities for both in-person and online audiences to participate. About George A. PapandreouGeorge A. Papandreou is a Member of the Hellenic Parliament, former Prime Minister of Greece (2009–2011), and Rapporteur for Democracy at the Council of Europe. He also serves as Chair of the International Olympic Truce Centre, and has held academic appointments including Visiting Fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics.Across his career, he has been recognised internationally for his commitment to democratic reform, peace-building, and cross-cultural dialogue. As Foreign Minister, he played a central role in the rapprochement between Greece and Turkey, earning global acclaim.

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Political Lessons from Greece: A Case of Unlikely Democratic Resilience

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Political Lessons from Greece: A Case of Unlikely Democratic Resilience

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Discover more events from Peaceful, Secure & Empowered Societies IRT, from Government to other experiences you might love.

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