THE GREEK RIGHT

539 Pages·2014·21.68 MB·English

THE GREEK RIGHT:
STRUCTURE AND IDEOLOGY
OF THE NEW DEMOCRACY PARTY
by
EMMANUEL G. ALEXAKIS
Thesis submitted for the Degree of Ph.D.
in the University of London
The London School of Economics & Political Science
November, 1993
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UMI Number: U062732
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Prof.
Nicos Mouzelis, whose help and assistance throughout this study has been
enormous, constructive and substantial. I would also like to thank Dr.
Chris Husbands for his help in the formulation of the questionnaire and
also his suggestions and general advice concerning the best conduct of
the fieldwork research. In addition, I would like to thank Vassilis
Kapetanyiannis who provided me with numerous Greek and foreign press
publications containing valuable information concerning the ND party;
Ilias Katsoulis, Christos Lyrintzis, and Andreas Moschonas, who read
parts of the manuscript and made useful comments and suggestions; and
Michalis Alexakis, for his essential help with fieldwork-research data
processing and computer assistance.
Moreover, I would like to thank all those ND members and ex­
members, at the central as well as the local level, who helped me by
providing information fundamental to this work. Last but not least, I
would like to express my gratitude to Ellen Sutton for her language
editing and for her suggestions and advice concerning the overall
presentation and style of this study.
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ABSTRACT
The main issues on which the present study is focused are the
foundation of the New Democracy party (ND) in 1974; its political
personnel, leadership, organisation, ideology, electoral strategy and
overall performance from 1974 until 1990 at both the national and the
local level; as well as the extent to which ND resembled and/or differed
from the traditional practices of its predecessor, the National Radical
Union (ERE).
The analysis and interpretation of ND not only comprises new
empirical information obtained from our research in Greece, but also
takes into account the specific characteristics and nature of the post-
1974 socio-political system within which all the political parties have
operated. Moreover, comparisons between ND and ERE go beyond the party
level. In order to obtain rather more comprehensive and satisfactory
explanations concerning the nature and exact political identity of ND
(and, secondarily, of ERE), we expanded our analytical scope to include
the broader socio-political characteristics of the two systems within
which ERE and ND were created, functioned and interrelated. In other
words, in our attempt to analyse ND, we used not only the explanatory
variables of the party's historical background, political personnel,
organisation, leadership and ideology, but also the specific features of
the political systems within which ND and its predecessor ERE were set
up, as well as the extent to which both parties were influenced by and
themselves affected and shaped the broader socio-political environment.
Taking into consideration all of the new empirical information and
comparing ND with ERE, with the other major post-1974 Greek parties
(particularly the Panhellenic Socialist Movement PASOK), as well as with
many West European conservative parties, it is argued that ND should not
be seen as simply a mere continuation of ERE, nor as a completely new
and modem political formation. Although throughout the period under
examination ND presented elements of continuity with its predecessor, it
also gave evidence of change and modernisation, and demonstrated the
characteristics of both a clientelist and a mass party of the Western
European kind. Notwithstanding the coexistence and specific articulation
among traditional and modern elements within its ranks —at times
complementary, at other times not— ND today is still going through a
transitional period. Whether or not this w ill lead to its full
transformation into a modern mass party and an integrative political
force of the Right, depends on a wide range of factors (operating from
both within and outside the party), and remains to be seen.
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LIST OF CONTENTS
Page
GENERAL INTRODUCTION...................................................................................... 17
CHAPTER ONE: SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: THE GREEK RIGHT
FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE 1967 DICTATORSHIP.............. 24
1. Introduction................................................................................................ 24
2. The Post-War Situation............................................................................ 30
2.1 The regime level...................................................................................... 30
2.1.1 The economy............................................................................................ 30
2.1.2 The polity.............................................................................................. 37
2.2 The party level........................................................................................ 47
2.2.1 Reconstitution of the conservative camp:
the Greek Rally party........................................................................ 47
—2.2.2 The National Radical Union (ERE).................................................. 50
2.2.2. (a) The party's political personnel............................................ 52
2.2.2. (b) Structure and administration.................................................. 55
(i) Central party administration............................................ 55
(ii) Organisational structure.................................................. 58
—2.2.2. (c) The party leader.......................................................................... 61
—2.2.3 Ideology and prograirme...................................................................... 65
—'2.2.4 Strategy and tactics.......................................................................... 68
(a). In government............................................................ 68
(b). In opposition............................................................................... 70
2.2.5 Electoral performance........................................................................ 71
2.2.6 An overall critique of the National Radical Union (ERE)... 79
3. Developments in the 1960s...................................................................... 83
3.1 The rise and fall of the Centre Union............................................. 83
3.2 The "apostates" governments and the imposition
of the colonels' military dictatorship............................................ 88
— 4. Conclusion.................................................................................................... 90
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Page
CHAPTER TWO; THE RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY AND PARLIAMENTARISM:
RECONSTITUTION OF THE CONSERVATIVE CAMP AND
THE CREATION OF THE NEW DEMOCRACY PARTY...................... 95
1. Introduction................................................................................................. 95
2. The Restoration of Democracy................................................................. 97
2.1 The transition period: formation of a national-unity
government and first steps towards democrat i sat ion.................. 97
2.2 The period of consolidation: Parliamentary elections,
the referendum on the monarchy, and the formation
of the June 1975 constitution.................................................................. 103
^_3. The Reconstitution of the Conservative Canp:
The Creation of the New Democracy Party................................................ Ill
4. Conclusion.......................................................................................................... 115
CHAPTER THREE: POLITICAL PERSONNEL.............................................................. 117
1. Int roduc t i on...................................................................................................... 117
2. Parliamentary Group........................................................................................ 118
2.1 Political background.................................................................................... 118
2.2 Occupational background.............................................................................. 131
3. Central and Departmental Ocnmittees........................................................ 138
4. Political Personnel and Internal Divisions.......................................... 149
4.1 Absense of distinctive political currents.......................................... 149
4.2 Clientelism...................................................................................................... 152
4.3 Factions and tendencies within New Democracy.................................... 155
5. Conclusion.......................................................................................................... 164
CHAPTER FOUR: ORGANISATION AND LEADERSHIP ................................................ 169
1. Introduction...................................................................................................... 169
—2. Karamanlis' Post-1974 Personality and His Contribution
to the Creation of ND's Organisation...................................................... 171
3. The Party Organisation................................................................................. 177
3.1 Creation and early development of ND's organisation:
the 1977 Preliminary Congress and the 1979 first
National Congress.......................................................................................... 177
3.2 ND's organisational enlargement and its 1986 second
National Congress.......................................................................................... 184
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Page
3.3 Statutory changes in 1986................................................................... 192
,______________4. The Party Leadership......................................................... 209
^_5. Conclusion..................................................................................................... 220
CHAPTER FIVE: IDEOLOGY, PROGRAMME AND STRATEGY................................ 224
^^1. Introduction................................................................................................. 224
— 2. Karamanlis' Contribution to the Elaboration
of the Party's Ideology........................................................................... 226
2.1 Radical liberalism: Theoretical foundation.................................. 226
2.2 Radical liberalism applied:
ND's programme and strategy 1974-1981............................................ 236
2.2.1 Economic policy..................................................................................... 236
2.2.2 Foreign policy....................................................................................... 241
— 3. ND in Opposition (1981-1989): Seeking for
An Ideological Identity.......................................................................... 246
3.1 The 1985 manifesto "A new proposal for freedom",
and the shift towards neo- liberal ism.............................................. 246
3.2 The 1986 congress and ND's temporary ideological retreat 256
4. Ideology and Members' Attitudes.......................................................... 263
■—-5. From Opposition Back into Office........................................................ 272
5.1 The Greek case of historical compromise........................................ 272
—5.2 ND's 1990-1993 governmental record: A tentative assessment.. 276
6. Conclusion.................................................................................................... 279
CHAPTHER SIX: NEW DEMOCRACY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF LARISSA.............. 284
1. Introduction................................................................................................. 284
2. ND's Political Personnel and the Creation and Development
of the Organisation in the Department of Larissa........................ 292
3. The Local Party Organisation in Larissa and Kalohori................ 297
3.1 Party members' socioeconomic and
political particulars............................................................................. 297
3.2 Party members' appraisal of their local organisation.............. 304
3.3 Party members' attitudes towards more
general political and ideological issues...................................... 313
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Page
4. The National Elections of 18 June 1989............................................ 324
5. Conclusion.................................................................................................... 333
CHAPTER SEVEN: CONCLUDING REMARKS:
THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE GREEK RIGHT...................... 337
1. Introduction................................................................................................. 337
— 2. Continuities and Change in Greek Conservative Politics............ 338
2.1. The party level: Fran ERE to ND...................................................... 338
2.2. The socio-political level: Fran pre-coup repressive
parliamentarism to the post-1974 open democratic regime 350
3. General conclusion.................................................................................... 362
FOOTNOTES...,...................................................................................................... 369
APPENDICES
I. Proclamation of Prime Minister Constantine Karamanlis on
the Foundation of the Political Front of "New Democracy".. 462
II. (a) ND’s ballot/emblem in 1977....................................... 467
(b) ND's emblem after the 1st Congress....................................... 468
(c) ND's unofficial emblem in the 1985 election..................... 469
III. ND membership frcm 1974 until early 1992................................... 470
IV. ND's Ideological Principles - 1979 : Speech of C. Karananlis
at the first ND National Congress (A shortened version)... 473
V. Constantine Mitsotakis' New Proposal for Freedom,
3 February 1985..................................................................... 479
VI. ND's Ideological Principles - 1986.............................. 487
VII. ND's Electoral Performance.............................................. 491
VIII. Party Members' Questionnaire, Views and Attitudes
in the Dept of Larissa (City of Larissa
and village of Kalohori)................................................... 492
IX. Maps.......................................................................................... 508
Map 1: Political Regions and Departments (Nones) of
Modem Greece. (Source: Social and Economic Atlas,
Athens: National Centre of Social Research, 1965).. 509
Map 2: Region of Thessaly, its Departments
and their Capitals............................................................... 510
Map 3: Department of Larissa, its Eparchies
and their Capitals................................................. 511
BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................... 512
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LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES
All following Tables and Figures represent data resulting
from my own research, unless otherwise stated.
Page
CHAPTER ONE
Table 1.1: Greek Rally Parliamentary Group: 9 September 1951
National Election....................................................................... 49
Table 1.2: ERE Candidates for the 19 February 1956
Election......................................................................................... 53
Table 1.3: ERE MPs after the 19 February 1956
National Election....................................................................... 54
Table 1.4: 19 February 1956 Parliamentary Election [Sources*.
Register of Senators (1929-1935) and MPs (1935-1974),
Athens: Greek Parliament Publication, 1977
(in Greek), p. 93.]................................................................... 72
Table 1.4a: Ccnparison Between Civilian & Army/Civil Service Votes
[Sources: For Athens and Piraeus see Linardatos S.,
From the Civil War to the Dictatorship, Athens:
Papazissis, 1977, five vols, vol. Ill, p. 78;
for the country as a whole see Nikolakopoulos E.,
Parties and Parliamentary Elections in Greece:
1946-1964, Athens: National Centre for Social
Research, 1985. p. 471, (both in Greek).]........................ 73
Table 1.5: 11 May 1958 Parliamentary Election [Sources:
Same as for Table 1.4, p. 94.]............................................. 74
Table 1.6: 29 October 1961 Parliamentary Election [Sources:
Same as for Table 1.4, p. 96.]............................................. 76
Table 1.7: 3 November 1963 Parliamentary Election [Sources:
Same as for Table 1.4, p. 97.]............................................. 77
Table 1.8: 16 February 1964 Parliamentary Election [Sources:
Same as for Table 1.4, p. 98.]............................................. 78
Table 1.9: The National Radical Union’s (ERE) Electoral
Performance [Sources: Same as for
Table 1.4, pp. 93-8.].............................................................. 81
CHAPTER TWO
Table II.1: 17 November 1974 Parliamentary Election [Sources:
17 November 1974 Parliamentary Elections Results,
Ministry of the Interior, General Direction of
Administration, Direction of Elections,
Section of Elections, Athens 1976, (in Greek),
Tables III and IV, pp. 12-5.]............................................ 106
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