Local Government and Citizen in the Period of Crisis in Greece

Athanasia Triantafyllopoulou

doi:10.5539/res.v9n4p42

Abstract

Greece has been under fiscal surveillance since 2010, due to the economic recession and the fiscal adjustment program agreed between Greece, the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The economic recession and the measures taken as a result of this adjustment had a serious impact on Greek society, a large part of which is at risk of poverty or below the poverty line. Local government has suffered the consequences of the economic crisis, yet it has taken initiatives to coordinate actions of volunteer groups, that were activated during this period, to address social problems.

Highlights

Greek local government constitutes an administrative, political, as well as a social, participatory and developmental institution
Greece has been under fiscal surveillance since 2010, due to the economic recession and the fiscal adjustment program agreed between Greece, the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund
The economic recession and the measures taken as a result of this adjustment had a serious impact on Greek society, a large part of which is at risk of poverty or below the poverty line

Summary

Introduction

Greek local government constitutes an administrative, political, as well as a social, participatory and developmental institution. The terms of the loan agreement and the actual situation in economy, as it was formed after the implementation of these measures, had serious impact on Greek society, such as the reduction of income for both public and private sector employees, the reducing demand for products that resulted in the closure of many enterprises, of small and medium-sized ones, the abolition of collective labour agreements in the private sector and, the reduction of salaries in the private sector, the high unemployment rates at all ages and across all education levels ( across university graduates), the failure to repay housing and consumer loans, which created large numbers of homeless people These consequences resulted in questioning the role of the institutions, both at national and European level, by the citizens. Despite the limited financial resources and the reduction of personnel, local government developed initiatives to coordinate social groups at local level, in order to support the homeless and the unemployed and to provide social and health services to the citizens, while its contribution to supporting refugees and immigrants at a local level proved decisive and contributed to the transformation of the citizens’ feelings of xenophobia

State and Citizen during the Crisis

The Contribution of Local Government during the Period of Crisis

Remarks