Greece

Greece is meeting fiscal targets and concludes program reviews on time

A Rebound Is Expected For The Greek Economy, But Downside Risks Remain

Assuming the pandemic comes to a gradual end, a robust recovery of investments, private consumption and exports output should lead to an economic rebound of almost 7.5% in 2021. Unemployment is expected to decrease again next year. However, besides a resurge of the pandemic, any deterioration of the Greek-Turkish relationship could hurt economic performance, especially within the tourism sector (e.g. if Turkey again opens the border for refugees to move on to Greece, or in case of rising military tensions and clashes in the Aegean Sea).




piraeus port

The dragon’s head roars in Athens

Jens Bastian (MacroPolis) | It was a visit worthy of a plethora of superlatives. The arrival of China’s President Xi Jinping in Athens (November 10-12) was termed a “vote of confidence” for Greece.


greece

Growing Greece: From narrative to reality

Nick Malkoutzis (Macropolis) | Over recent weeks, there has been much talk from government officials about a “new Greece” emerging after the July elections. This has been supported by legislation that has already been passed, such as interventions in the way the country is governed, and the draft laws that are being lined up, such as the development bill, which is seen by New Democracy as a bureaucracy-buster that will pave the way for more investment.



olympia greece column antique corinthian marquee

The benefits of being Greek

Ioannis Glinavos via Macropolis | Greece is heading for a general election on July 7. A great part of the political narrative around this election is a confrontation between a supposedly fantastical leftist alternative and a mature, European direction for Greece. The former is represented by Alexis Tsipras and SYRIZA, while the latter is allegedly promised by Kyriakos Mitsotakis and New Democracy.


merkel and tsipras

Is Berlin prepared for a new government in Greece?

Jens Bastian via Macropolis | The German government’s view of the candidates for prime minister ahead of Greece’s early elections on July 7 is rather ambiguous. This is largely due to the fact that PM Tsipras has undergone a remarkable political transition in office. His efforts at staging various policy U-turns over the course of the past four years have led to an impressive reassessment in Berlin of his term as Greek prime minister.



China in the Balkans

China in Europe: Greece Joins the 17+1 network

Jens Bastian via Macropolis | For some Greece observers and various China analysts the decision by the Greek government to join the 17+1 network came as a surprise. They shouldn’t have been taken aback. What is rather astonishing is the muted response by Brussels, Berlin and Washington.