Introduction

Abstract

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an overview adopting a historical, cross-temporal approach which allows to assess the weight of the past on contemporary realities. It focuses on the anni horribili when the consequences of the lack of adjustment became apparent. The book looks at the action taken to correct the faulty architecture of the eurozone with regard to an asymmetric shock to the common currency. It considers the 2010s to have been the ‘most turbulent decade’ since Greece’s transition to democracy in 1974. The book highlights the considerable resilience of constitutional institutions during these challenging political times. It examines the way the EU is portrayed in the rhetoric of the Greek prime ministers and in the corresponding trends in public opinion during the past decade.