The period 2010-2018 is the most recent peace time episode in Greek history during which domestic political institutions were forced to operate under strong external pressure. Governance weaknesses and “low reform capacity” were confronted with external obligations for “substantial” reform of the Greek state. At the same time, the narrative of the crisis as the “opportunity” for an ambitious administrative reform agenda became a legitimizing policy tool for Greek governments. It is no exaggeration to argue that during this recent period, under the pressure of the multi-annual Macro-economic Adjustment Programs, Greece became a “laboratory of reforms. The involvement of external actors, however, complicated this process. How and with what results did external pressure and creditors’ demands meet with domestic policy preferences? Who diagnosed the problems and guided towards the necessary and appropriate policies? What amount of leverage did Greek governments have? And, finally, to what extent were chronic institutional weaknesses addressed? The book argues that a domestic lack of structured alternatives allowed the expanding penetration of external actors in the Greek political-administrative system. Going beyond simple, instrumental-type changes, the agenda of institutional and administrative reforms came to invade sensitive areas of political-administrative operation, thus undermining the legitimacy of external reform demands.

The new book by Calliope Spanou, Senior Policy Advisor; Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Athens, entitled ‘Which reforms? Governing under external pressure‘ is now released by Patakis editions.