Corporatist theories and practices in inter-war Greece: Economic or social politics?

Abstract

My article will explore the agenda and the role of corporatist theories and practices in inter-war Greece. Corporatism played a marginal role in Greek politics at the time. For all its solemn proclamations that Greece would be organised as a corporatist state, the Fourth of August regime under General Ioannis Metaxas (1936-1941) did not break with past economic thought and policies. Drawing on primary material, I will argue that corporatist ideas and institutions in Greece mostly served socio-political rather than economic interests. Politicians, economists and social scientists, such as Georgios Merkouris, Demosthenes Stefanidis, Ioannis Tournakis and Dimitrios Panou, who espoused and propagated the cause of corporatism, placed great emphasis on the ‘national’ and the disciplinary role of this system of thought. Their main aim was to eradicate class struggle and to instil harmony and cooperation in labour relations. Following the fascist example, General Metaxas applied these principles through authoritarian and harsh police methods.