In the midst of the Greek crisis. Parties, institutions, politics, ideologies

crisis2012en14-15 January 2013

Panteion University


Greece is in the throes of a profound national crisis that embraces politics, economy, society and the ideologies of the whole postwar period. Although Greek crisis is articulated with the global financial crisis of 2008 and the events that took place in the eurozone, it has undoubtedly its own characteristics, its own tensions.

Certain manifestations of the crisis are particularly striking within the political-party system: crisis of the traditional major parties, changes within party scene, party fragmentation, right and left radicalism, right-wing extremism, new forms of mobilization, new "waves" of politicization.

Additionally both the political system and the model of government, are suffering from fragmentation, inefficiency, inertia in decision making, in front of the challenges faced by the society, the economy and the country as a whole.

 The crisis has all the features of the "end of an era". The ideologies, the collective representations, the party discourse, the European and national discourse, are changing or insulating themselves. The political-ideological identities are reconfigured and polarized. The “democratic acquis” of the post-dictatorship era ceases to be acquis. Many talk about the broader phenomenon delegitimization of the state.

The global crisis of 2008 is among those that intersect the historical time. However this should not cast shadows on the fact that some of the current phenomena that attract the interest of social scientists are well embedded to the past, which should not be ignored by the contemporary analysis. Indeed, the debate on the political and institutional crisis counts several decades of fruitful scientific dialogue. It began in the 1970s with reference to the forms of crisis of the “Keynesian” state. Then came the crisis of the mass parties, while people began to distantiate themselves from them, adopting new forms of political participation and collective expression. The fall of communist regimes changed the architecture of Europe, while the acceleration of globalization and mass migration towards the developed Western world, created a new political agenda. All components of the nation-state came to a test. Populist radical right parties were those who mainly benefited from the political discontent, the protest and the fears of citizens in the rapidly changing world at the turn of the 20th century. The crisis of the financial system in 2008 radically changed the scene, but the dialectic “continuity” and “discontinuity” is always useful approach.

In the light of these developments, the Centre for Political Research of the Department of Political Science and History, Panteion University, is organizing a two-day conference on the Greek crisis which is hinged on the following topics:



Topics:


1) The Greek party system in crisis and transformation.

Changes and continuities in Greek party system, their causes and the directions they employ, especially after the election on 6 May and 17 June 2012.

Old and new forms of party competition. Alignments and de-realignments. Emergence of new parties. Transform old parties. Towards a new party system? Party discourses.

 

Study of the above trends in comparative perspective.

The appearance of allied governments in Greece and the relevant international literature.

"Technocracy" and Governance: Greek and international experience


2) The crisis of politics today: Greece in comparative perspective. Historical background and newer directions.

Aim of this thematic section is to highlight the relative content of the political crisis, as is reflected in the old and new European democracies.

What is the content, causes and dimensions of this crisis? What the emerging dynamic?

Collective forms of action and civil society in the period of crisis: continuities and discontinuities.


3) Political system and institutions to the test. What institutional and other changes required by the postwar Republic?

The performance and evaluation of the political system: reform or stagnation?

International / European triggers endogenous dynamics for reform: old patterns and new dynamics.

Economic institutions (eg Central Bank), "think tanks" technocratic management before and after the crisis: predictions, responsibilities, contributions.

Collective bargaining institutions in crisis and change. How will the Syndicate after the crisis?

The failure of public administration and reform. What should be done, how and why.

For a new welfare state: Insurance, Health, Taxation.


4) Ideological developments and collective representations

Acquis and democratic legitimation crisis. Lawlessness, violence and politics. Populism, nationalism, racism. Greece and Europe. New stereotypes. New cultural phenomena.