Citizens’ satisfaction with democracy against the backdrop of the Eurozone crisis management: the case of Greece

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ABSTRACT This study examines the long-term impact of the Eurozone crisis management on citizens’ satisfaction with democracy in Greece. Based on original survey data and extensive qualitative research, we have undertaken a thorough analysis of the bailouts’ impact on citizens’ views with regard to the country’s sovereignty and status in the EU framework, their attitudes towards the domestic political elites, and their beliefs over the function and responsiveness of national democratic institutions. Our findings suggest that the severe constraints imposed by the MoU regime on the Greek political system in conjunction with the fallout from the 2015 referendum led to widespread disenchantment with the political class, a sharp decrease in institutional trust, and a rise in political cynicism. These dynamics suppress satisfaction with democracy to very low levels and sustain a latent current of political radicalization that seems to undermine the stability of the Greek party system, despite the relative rebound of the economy. On that basis, we contend that the Eurozone crisis management and the power equilibriums that emanated from it have far-reaching repercussions for the political systems of member-states, like Greece, that still grapple with restricted economic sovereignty and the loss of policy-making capacities to EU institutions.