Greece’s Unfinished Transition to Democracy

Greece, abetted by the EU, has been sowing its own seeds of instability through the unwillingness of the Greek elites, the Greek public, and the EU to complete the country’s transition to democracy. There has been almost an assumption that Greece’s accession to the EU and its membership in the eurozone — which it was notoriously unprepared to join in 2001 — would somehow come good in the end.

This unwillingness to reform is the reality engulfing the Western Balkans, where corruption and the influence of local oligarchs are further weakening the region’s path to strong and sustainable democracies. Grexit would mean Greece joining this group of neighboring countries, which are Europe’s waiting security challenge. Such would be the very high price of Grexit.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: The Greek debt crisis: Key sources http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-greek-debt-crisis-key-sources/

ESO: Background information: Eurogroup meeting, Brussels, 22 June 2015 / Euro Summit, Brussels, 22 June 2015 http://www.europeansources.info/record/meeting-eurogroup-meeting-brussels-22-june-2015-euro-summit-brussels-22-june-2015/

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