Since October 2017, the A.G. Leventis Foundation is funding a new Research Chair at ELIAMEP. In its first three years of operation, the Chair has supported annual studies on issues of European Political Economy of Greek interest. The studies have been prepared by researchers/academics of recognized value, and have been presented at public events, where they were commented on by well-known academics, researchers and policy makers. In addition, part of the funding has been supported a junior researcher position. The junior researchers that have filled this position have published working papers which bear the logo of the sponsor (A.G. Leventis Foundation) and have assisted the team of researchers working on the annual studies. Starting from the academic year 2020-21, the A.G. Leventis Research Chair supports a postdoctoral research position in the field of Greek and/or European political economy. The program lasts one year and is renewed every year.
From October 2017-September 2021 Dimitris Katsikas coordinated the programme. From September 2021 onwards, Manos Matsaganis, Head of the Greek and European Economy Observatory, is the programme’s coordinator.
Period 2017-2018
During 2017-2018 the Chair funded the study entitled “Reforms in Public Administration during the crisis: Review, Description, Evaluation.” The study documented the Public Administration reforms promoted by the Economic Adjustment Programmes. The aim of the study was to evaluate the implementation and impact of the reforms that have been implemented, as well as to assess the overall progress in Public Administration, including the obstacles that came up during the implementation effort. The research was coordinated by Professor Calliope Spanou, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The research team consisted of Dr. Christos Ioannou, Dr. Manto Lampropoulou, Dr. Evangelia Balla, and Professor Dimitrios Oikonomou.
You can find the Executive Summary of the main findings and conclusions of the report here.
The full report is available here (in Greek).
For the period 2017-18, the Junior Researcher position was filled by Mr. Vangelis Arvanitis, Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Economics of the University of Thessaly. Mr. Arvaniti’s Ph.D. Thesis topic is “Transparency of Central Banks and monetary policy transmission mechanisms.” As part of his duties, Mr. Arvanitis authored a research paper entitled “The impact of the European Central Bank’s monetary policy on European countries’ loan structure: the housing channel.”
Period 2018-2019
For the period 2018-19, the Chair funded the study “Structural changes in fiscal policy during the crisis: Institutional framework and economic results.” The study was coordinated by Panagiotis Tsakloglou, Professor at the Department of International and European Economic Studies, Athens University of Economics and Business. The report was co-authored by Professor Tsakloglou and Dr. Marianthi Anastasatou, economist at the Bank of Greece.
The topic was primarily chosen due to the central position of fiscal policy in the management of the crisis not only in Greece but also in the Eurozone more generally. The critical role of fiscal policy in the expected recovery of the Greek economy and the country’s transition in the post-memorandum era make this a highly important and topical issue.
You may access the full report, in Greek, here.
For the period 2018-19, the position of the Junior Researcher was originally filled by Mr. Zisis Manouzas, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The title of Mr. Manouza’s Ph.D. Thesis is “Social Tolerance of Fiscal Austerity in the countries of the Eurozone: Explanations of Political Economy.”
Since 15 February 2019, the position of the Junior Researcher was filled by Ms. Pery Bazoti, graduate of the Department of International, European and Regional Studies of the Panteion University and post-graduate of European Economic Policy from the Athens University of Economics and Business. Ms Bazoti has research experience on programmes regarding the Greek and Eurozone Crises. As part of her duties, Ms. Bazoti authored a research paper entitled “Education and wage inequalities in Greece: access to higher education and its effects on income”.
Period 2019 – 2020
For the period 2019-2020, the Chair funded a study assigned to Professors Margarita Katsimi, Sarantis Kalivitis and Thomas Moutos, at the Department of International and European Economic Studies, Athens University of Business and Economics. The study is entitled “Extroversion, Business Exports and the Wage Environment in the Greek Economy” and it aimed to provide a thorough analysis of the extroversion of the Greek economy in relation to the wage environment and its evolution in Greece, using data from Greek export companies. Particular emphasis was placed on factors shaping the behavior of exporting companies in Greece, using as an extensive case study the decrease of the minimum wage, which was legislated in 2012 with a view to reducing youth unemployment as well as improving competitiveness. The main aim of the study is to become a policy guide at the Greek and international level for the implementation of more effective remuneration/ wage policies in relation to the extroversion of economies. Ms. Theoni Kakoulidou, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of International and European Economic Studies of the Athens University of Economics and Business, also participated in the study.
The Research Assistant position of the Chair was filled by Ms. Dimitra Tsigkou, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The title of Ms. Tsigkou’s Ph.D. Thesis topic is “The Role of Germany and France in the Euro Area Reform: A Comparative Political Economy Approach.”
Period 2020 – 2021
For the period 2020-21, according to the Chair’s new mode of operation, a postdoctoral researcher was selected following a public call of interest. The first A.G. Leventis Research Chair Postdoctoral Research Fellow at ELIAMEP, is Dr. Apostolos Fasianos.
Apostolos Fasianos is an economist whose research focuses on the macroeconomic implications of household financial behaviour and the investigation of the relevant policy effects. He has published a number of articles in international peer-reviewed journals including the Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics and the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics.
During his A.G. Leventis Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, he will explore the relationship between monetary policy and income inequality using a cross-country panel approach.
In the past, Apostolos has worked as an economist at the Council of Economic Advisors of the Hellenic Ministry of Finance and the Irish Economic Analysis Division at the Central Bank of Ireland. He has also been involved in research projects run by the Bank of England and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand on topics related to household finances and macroeconomics.
He has represented Greece in international fora including the EPC – Ageing Working Group committee (AWG) at the European Commission and the Working Party 1 on Macroeconomic and Structural Policy Analysis at the OECD.
Apostolos holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Limerick, an MSc in Economic Development from the University of Glasgow, and an MPhil in Economic Theory from the University of Athens.
His research interests include household finances, housing economics, monetary economics, economic inequalities, and political economy. He speaks Greek, English and Spanish.
Period 2021 – 2022
For the period 2021-22, a postdoctoral researcher was selected following a public call of interest. The A.G. Leventis Research Chair Postdoctoral Research Fellow at ELIAMEP, is Dr. Georgios Manalis.
Georgios Manalis is an economist, specializing in macroeconomic analysis and quantitative methods. His research studies the impact of institutional policy changes on the economy of developing countries, as well as issues pertaining to the political economy of the Euro area. His work has been presented in international conferences (e.g., CEPR-STEG-2021, GLAD conference-2021, EERN Conference-2020), as well as received research awards (7th Giorgio Rota Best Paper Award – 2019, Best paper at Warsaw International Economic Meeting 2019, Shortlisted for LAGV Prize (ASSET 2019)). He has worked as a special research scientist in the department of economics of the University of Cyprus and as an economic analyst at the research department of National Bank of Greece (internship position).
Georgios concluded his doctorate studies at the European University Institute and his post-graduate studies at the London School of Economics and Athens University of Economics and Business.
