Populism and Crisis Politics in Greece

175 Pages·2014·2.133 MB·English

by  Takis S. Pappas (auth.)

Populism and Crisis Politics in Greece
DOI: 10.1057/9781137410580.0001
Also by Takis S. Pappas:
MAKING PARTY DEMOCRACY IN GREECE (1999)
ΤΟ ΧΑΡΙΣΜΑΤΙΚΟ ΚΟΜΜΑ: ΠΑΣΟΚ, Παπανδρέου, εξουσία [THE CHARISMATIC
PARTY: PASOK, Papandreou, Power] (2009)
EUROPEAN POPULISM IN THE SHADOW OF THE GREAT RECESSION (co-edited with
Hanspeter Kriesi) (forthcoming 2015)
DOI: 10.1057/9781137410580.0001
Populism and Crisis
Politics in Greece
Takis S. Pappas
Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies,
University of Macedonia, Greece, and
Department of Political and Social Sciences, European
University Institute, Florence, Italy
DOI: 10.1057/9781137410580.0001
© Takis S. Pappas 2014
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2014 978-1-137-41057-3
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this
publication may be made without written permission.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted
save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence
permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency,
Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.
Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work
in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published 2014 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN
Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited,
registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke,
Hampshire RG21 6XS.
Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies
and has companies and representatives throughout the world.
Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States,
the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries.
ISBN: 978-1-137-41058-0 PDF
ISBN: 978-1-349-48901-5

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
www.palgrave.com/pivot
doi: 10.1057/9781137410580
For Juan who knew already,
Zina who already knows,
Antigone and Stefanos who learn fast
DOI: 10.1057/9781137410580.0001
Contents
List of Tables, Figures, and Map viii
Acknowledgments ix
List of Abbreviations xi
1 Introduction 1
Part I Populist Democracy 12
2 Fledgling Liberalism 13
3 Populism Ascendant 21
4 Popular Sovereignty 27
5 Biased Beliefs 33
Profile: Conservative Entrepreneur 41
Part II Cogs and Wheels 43
6 Patronage Politics 44
7 Polarized Bipartism 52
8 Why Reforms Failed? 60
Profile: Unprincipled Socialist 68
Part III Legitimation Crisis 70
9 Economic Crisis 71
10 Social Discord 78
vi DOI: 10.1057/9781137410580.0001
Contents vii
11 Features of Unrest 84
12 Modern Luddites 89
Profile: Leftist Peddler 95
Part IV Party System Change 97
13 Critical Elections 98
14 Anti-system Voting 107
15 Loss Aversion 114
Profile: Stubborn Reformist 123
Part V Lessons from Greece 125
16 Embattled Democracy 126
Appendix 138
References 140
Index 156
DOI: 10.1057/9781137410580.0001
List of Tables, Figures, and Map
Tables
4.1 Strike activity in Greece, 1980–1999 31
7.1 Cumulative number and percentage of
seats for PASOK and ND, 1981–2009 54
7.2 Electoral returns for PASOK and ND, 1981–2009 54
7.3 Party alternation in office, 1974–2011 56
12.1 Strike and other protest activity during
metapolitefsi: a rationalization 91
12.2 General strikes in selected crisis-ridden
countries, 2008–2011 93
13.1 Greek election results, 2009 and 2012 100
14.1 Anti-system party politics in crisis-ridden Greece 111
14.2 Semi-systemic ANEL 112
15.1 Greece’s ‘Index of Misery’ 118
15.2 Greece’s misery compared, 2010–2013 121
16.1 Causes of political instability in Greece
in December 2008 and June 2012 129
Figures
13.1 The travails of twopartism during the crisis 101
13.2 Greece’s post-2012 types of parties and
dimensions of interparty competition 103
Map
6.1 Illegal constructions in Greece 51
viii DOI: 10.1057/9781137410580.0002
Acknowledgments
This book was conceived as soon as the global financial and
economic crisis hit Greece in early 2010 and materialized
mostly while I held a generous Marie Curie Fellowship in
the cloistered European University Institute in Florence,
Italy. I am deeply indebted to the friendship and intel-
lectual stimulation I was offered by Stefano Bartolini,
Rainer Bauböck, László Bruszt, Pepper Culpepper,
Hanspeter Kriesi, Philippe Schmitter, Sven Steinmo,
and Alex Trechsel. Thanks to the obliging personnel in
the library and the delightful ladies at the cafeteria; it
was not a few times that they really made my day. And
thanks to Leonardo Morlino for always being available
to offer insightful comments over excellent Tuscan wine.
Federica, Stefano, and the late Beatrice have been valuable
friends and family substitutes. Long live their Republic of
Palmerino!
Many of the ideas in this book were presented at various
venues to – often too – argumentative people. Thanks to
all who attended and offered comments and valuable criti-
cism in presentations made in the School of Slavonic and
East European Studies of the University College London;
the University of Sheffield; the University of Leiden; the
George Washington University; the Social Science Center
in Berlin; the Robert Schuman Center for Advanced
Studies in Florence; the School for International Studies
at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver; the Center for
Modern Greek Studies of California State University in
San Francisco; the History Department at San Diego
University; the European Studies Program at Bremen
DOI: 10.1057/9781137410580.0003 ix