2017 Delphi Economic Forum

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

2017 Delphi Economic Forum OUTLOOK FOR GREECE AND THE REGION VISION 2020 -2030 March 2-5 , 2017 European Cultural Centre Amalia Hotel Delphi, Greece Under the Auspices of H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic Mr. Prokopios Pavlopoulos CONFERENCE AGENDA CONFERENCE DAY ONE Thursday, March 2, 2017 European Cultural Centre of Delphi 13.00 Registration 14.30-17.15 ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION I (Dionysos Hall – European Cultural Centre of Delphi ECCD) (Duration: 2hrs & 45min) POWER SHIFTS IN A MULTIPOLAR WORLD The new realities and trends related to the emerging polarity of the global economy and the ensuing reconfiguration of global power centers Opening Statements Dora Bakoyannis, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hellenic Republic (2006-2009) Ιan Lesser, Vice-President, German Marshall Fund of the United States Tzipi Livni, Co-Leader, Zionist Union Party; Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, State of Israel Nicholas Logothetis, Founder, Concordia Summit; Executive Member of the Board, Libra Group Discussants Ambassador Michael B. Christides, Secretary General, Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, Istanbul Adriano Bosoni, Senior Europe Analyst, Stratfor Petros Doukas, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hellenic Republic (2007-2009) Soli Özel, Professor of International Relations, Kadir Has University, Turkey Athanassios G. Platias, Professor of Strategy, Department of International and European Studies, University of Piraeus, Greece Chair: Pinelopi Gavra, Journalist 2 Thursday, March 2, 2017 17.30 – 19.30 OFFICIAL OPENING (Konstantinos Karamanlis Hall - ECCD) H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Prokopios Pavlopoulos will declare the Forum Open Keynote Statements Helene Ahrweiler, Rector, President, Administration Council, European Cultural Centre of Delphi Christos Stylianides, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Management Mario Monti, Prime Minister of Italy (2011-2013) Werner Hoyer, President, European Investment Bank Mark Arey, Executive Director, The Hellenic Initiative, USA Dr. Franz Fischler, President, European Forum Alpbach; Former Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries (1995-2004) André Calantzopoulos, CEO, Philip Morris International “Leadership in times of uncertainty” Welcome note by Kostas Bakoyannis, Governor, Region of Central Greece Welcome note by Athanassios Panagiotopoulos, Mayor, Municipality of Delphi Chair: Symeon G. Tsomokos, Delphi Economic Forum 20.30 DINNER at Amalia Hotel (With the kind support of the Municipality of Delphi) *by invitation only Guest of Honour and Speaker Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Chair: Symeon G. Tsomokos, Delphi Economic Forum *Award-Giving to the Sponsors 3 CONFERENCE DAY TWO Friday, March 3, 2017 Amalia Hotel 08.30 – 10.00 EXECUTIVE ROUND TABLE A (Apollon Room – Amalia Hotel) (Duration: 1hr & 30min) LINKING DIASPORA AND HOMELAND In a range of policy areas today — including foreign affairs, economic development, and international migration — the place of diaspora increasingly needs to be considered. How can we work towards strengthening the ties between diaspora and homeland? Speakers Savvas Anastasiadis, Alternate Shadow Minister, New Democracy Party; Vice President, Special Standing Committee Abroad the Diaspora; Member of the Parliament Mark Arey, Executive Director, The Hellenic Initiative, USA Jimmy Athanasopoulos, Head of Social Responsibility, Libra Group Dr. Lambis Tassakos, Extended Board Member, German Hellenic Business Association Achilles Tsaltas, Vice President, International Conferences, The New York Times Pavlos Yeroulanos, Minister of Culture and Tourism, Hellenic Republic (2009-2012) Endy Zemenides, Executive Director, Hellenic American Council Chair: Katerina Sokou, Washington DC Correspondent, Kathimerini Newspaper, SKAI TV 08.30 – 10.00 EXECUTIVE ROUND TABLE B (Ermis Room – Amalia Hotel) (Duration: 1hr & 30min) THE NEW STRATEGIC EQUATION IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN Mediterranean geopolitics has become central in security terms at a moment of pronounced flux in outlook and policy on all sides of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. What are the forces that will shape the future of the region? Programming partner: Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy - ELIAMEP ELIAMEP’s mission is to provide a forum for public debate on issues of European integration and international relations and to conduct scientific research that contributes to a better informed and documented knowledge of the European and international environment. Speakers Nadia Arbatova, Head, European Studies Department, IMEMO, Moscow Ιan Lesser, Vice-President, German Marshall Fund of the United States Theodore Pangalos, Deputy Prime Minister, Hellenic Republic (2009-2012) Chair: Thanos Dokos, Director General, Hellenic Foundation or European and Foreign Policy - ELIAMEP 4 Friday, March 3, 2017 European Cultural Centre of Delphi (Konstantinos Karamanlis Hall) 10.15 - 11.00 Session I (Konstantinos Karamanlis Hall - ECCD) In Conversation (Duration: 45min) Yannis Dragasakis, Deputy Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic Chair: Pavlos Tsimas, Editor-at-Large, Huffington Post, Greece 11.00 – 11.40 Session II (Konstantinos Karamanlis Hall - ECCD) (Duration: 40min) DEBT VS GROWTH In Conversation Dimitris Liakos, Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, Hellenic Republic Professor Lars Feld, Director of the Walter Eucken Institut and Member of the German Council of Economic Experts Chair: Yannis Perlepes, General Manager, Naftemporiki 11.45 – 13.10 Session III (Konstantinos Karamanlis Hall - ECCD) (Duration: 1hr & 25min) BREXIT: THE IMPACT ON THE UK AND THE EU An examination of the United Kingdom’s relationship with Europe and the long term impact of ‘Brexit’ on the British & EU economy. Programming partner: Hellenic Observatory, European Institute - The London School of Economics and Political Science Opening Statements Kate Smith, British Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic Discussants Iain Begg, Professorial Research Fellow, European Institute, LSE, London George Pagoulatos, Professor of European Politics and Economy, Athens University of Economics and Business Tony Travers, Professor, Department of Government, LSE, London Chair: Kevin Featherstone, Eleftherios Venizelos Professor of Contemporary Greek Studies, Head of the European Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science 13.15 – 14.00 Session IV (Konstantinos Karamanlis Hall - ECCD) (Duration: 45min) In conversation “Greece at an impasse?” Costas Simitis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic (1996-2004) Chair: Pavlos Tsimas, Editor-at-Large, Huffington Post, Greece 14.00 Break - Light lunch 5 Friday, March 3, 2017 15.00 – 15.25 Session V (Konstantinos Karamanlis Hall - ECCD) (Duration: 25min) In conversation Evangelos Venizelos, Deputy Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic (2013-2015); Minister for Foreign Affairs (2013-2015) Chair: Yiannis Politis, Journalist, Greece 15.30 - 17.30 Session VI (Konstantinos Karamanlis Hall - ECCD) (Duration: 2hrs) THE FUTURE OF EU AND EUROPE Can the Eurozone’s emergence from crisis turn into a real economic recovery and a new vision for Europe’s future? Or is Europe heading for a “lost decade” in terms of growth and a rise of eurosceptic populism? Speakers Lucas Papademos, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic (2011-2012); President, Academy of Athens Dr. Madsen Pirie, President, Adam Smith Institute, UK Dr. Peter Schoof, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Hellenic Republic Dr. Rolf Strauch, Member of the Management Board Economics, Policy Strategy and Banking, European Stability Mechanism Loukas Tsoukalis, President, Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, Greece Thomas Wieser, President, Euro Working Group, Brussels; Economic and Financial Committee, European Union Chair: Alexis Papahelas, Executive Editor, Kathimerini Newspaper 17.30 Break 6 Friday, March 3, 2017 17.50 – 18.15 Session VII (Konstantinos Karamanlis Hall - ECCD) (Duration: 25min) Geoffrey R. Pyatt, Ambassador of the United States of America to the Hellenic Republic Chair: Alexis Papahelas, Executive Editor, Kathimerini Newspaper 18.15 – 19.00 Session VIII (Konstantinos Karamanlis Hall - ECCD) UNDERSTANDING THE NEW US POLICIES In Conversation (Duration: 45min) William Antholis, Director and CEO, Miller Center, University of Virginia, USA Nicholas Logothetis, Founder, Concordia Summit; Executive Member of the Board, Libra Group 19.00 – 20.00 Discussants (Duration: 1hour) Konstantinos Arvanitopoulos, Minister of Education, Hellenic Republic (2012-2014) Katerina Sokou, Washington DC Correspondent, Kathimerini Newspaper, SKAI TV Deborah L. Wince-Smith, President and CEO, Council on Competitiveness, USA General Charles F. Wald, Vice Chairman, U.S. Federal Practice Senior Advisor, Deloitte Services LP Endy Zemenides, Executive Director, Hellenic American Council Chair: Athanasios Ellis, Senior Editor and Columnist, Kathimerini Newspaper Amalia Hotel Delphi 20.30 In conversation (Duration: 45min) Niall Ferguson, Laurence A. Tisch Professor of History, Harvard University Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Leader of the Opposition; President, New Democracy Party 21.30 End of the day 7 Friday, March 3, 2017 European Cultural Centre of Delphi (Dionysos Hall) sessions will be live streamed 10.15 - 13.00 Session IX (Dionysos Hall - ECCD) (Duration: 2hrs & 45min) PRIORITY AXES TO IMPROVE COMPETITIVENESS: A NATIONAL PLAN FOR THE ECONOMIC REHABILITATION – A GROWTH STRATEGY Necessary policies to improve the competitiveness
Recommended publications
  • Who Freed Athens? J
    Ancient Greek Democracy: Readings and Sources Edited by Eric W. Robinson Copyright © 2004 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd The Beginnings of the Athenian Democracv: Who Freed Athens? J Introduction Though the very earliest democracies lildy took shape elsewhere in Greece, Athens embraced it relatively early and would ultimately become the most famous and powerful democracy the ancient world ever hew. Democracy is usually thought to have taken hold among the Athenians with the constitutional reforms of Cleisthenes, ca. 508/7 BC. The tyrant Peisistratus and later his sons had ruled Athens for decades before they were overthrown; Cleisthenes, rallying the people to his cause, made sweeping changes. These included the creation of a representative council (bode)chosen from among the citizens, new public organizations that more closely tied citizens throughout Attica to the Athenian state, and the populist ostracism law that enabled citizens to exile danger- ous or undesirable politicians by vote. Beginning with these measures, and for the next two centuries or so with only the briefest of interruptions, democracy held sway at Athens. Such is the most common interpretation. But there is, in fact, much room for disagree- ment about when and how democracy came to Athens. Ancient authors sometimes refer to Solon, a lawgiver and mediator of the early sixth century, as the founder of the Athenian constitution. It was also a popular belief among the Athenians that two famous “tyrant-slayers,” Harmodius and Aristogeiton, inaugurated Athenian freedom by assas- sinating one of the sons of Peisistratus a few years before Cleisthenes’ reforms - though ancient writers take pains to point out that only the military intervention of Sparta truly ended the tyranny.
    [Show full text]
  • Download/Print the Study in PDF Format
    GENERAL ELECTION IN GREECE 7th July 2019 European New Democracy is the favourite in the Elections monitor Greek general election of 7th July Corinne Deloy On 26th May, just a few hours after the announcement of the results of the European, regional and local elections held in Greece, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (Coalition of the Radical Left, SYRIZA), whose party came second to the main opposition party, New Analysis Democracy (ND), declared: “I cannot ignore this result. It is for the people to decide and I am therefore going to request the organisation of an early general election”. Organisation of an early general election (3 months’ early) surprised some observers of Greek political life who thought that the head of government would call on compatriots to vote as late as possible to allow the country’s position to improve as much as possible. New Democracy won in the European elections with 33.12% of the vote, ahead of SYRIZA, with 23.76%. The Movement for Change (Kinima allagis, KINAL), the left-wing opposition party which includes the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), the Social Democrats Movement (KIDISO), the River (To Potami) and the Democratic Left (DIMAR), collected 7.72% of the vote and the Greek Communist Party (KKE), 5.35%. Alexis Tsipras had made these elections a referendum Costas Bakoyannis (ND), the new mayor of Athens, on the action of his government. “We are not voting belongs to a political dynasty: he is the son of Dora for a new government, but it is clear that this vote is Bakoyannis, former Minister of Culture (1992-1993) not without consequence.
    [Show full text]
  • FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL Brussels, 16 July 2018
    FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL Brussels, 16 July 2018 PARTICIPANTS High Representative Ms Federica MOGHERINI High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Belgium: Mr Didier REYNDERS Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, with responsibility for Beliris and Federal Cultural Institutions Bulgaria: Ms Emilia KRALEVA Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Czech Republic: Mr Jan HAMÁČEK Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Denmark: Mr Anders SAMUELSEN Minister for Foreign Affairs Germany: Mr Michael ROTH Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Estonia: Mr Sven MIKSER Minister for Foreign Affairs Ireland: Mr Declan KELLEHER Permanent Representative Greece: Mr Georgios KATROUGALOS Deputy Minister for European Affairs Spain: Mr Josep BORRELL FONTELLES Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation France: Mr Jean-Yves LE DRIAN Minister for Europe and for Foreign Affairs Croatia: Ms Marija PEJČINOVIĆ BURIĆ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Italy: Ms Emanuela Claudia DEL RE State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Cyprus: Mr Nikos CHRISTODOULIDES Minister for Foreign Affairs Latvia: Mr Edgars RINKĒVIČS Minister for Foreign Affairs Lithuania: Mr Linas LINKEVIČIUS Minister of Foreign Affairs Luxembourg: Mr Jean ASSELBORN Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Minister for Immigration and Asylum Hungary: Mr Péter SZIJJÁRTÓ Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Malta: Mr Carmelo ABELA Minister for Foreign Affairs and and
    [Show full text]
  • AHEPA Steamed About White House GID Event NYC Mayor Holds Greek
    O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ Bringing the news ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ to generations of ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald Greek Americans A WEEKLY GREEK AMERICAN PUBLICATION c v www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 12, ISSUE 599 April 4, 2009 $1.25 GREECE: 1.75 EURO AHEPA Steamed About White House GID Event Ike Gulas Sends Letter to Obama Criticizing “Gatekeepers,” Andy Athens Issues Response By Evan C. Lambrou Special to The National Herald NEW YORK – Most Greek Ameri- cans would agree that the annual White House ceremony commemo- rating Greek Independence Day is a very special event. Community leaders emphasize that it is an hon- or for the President of the United States to issue a proclamation rec- ognizing the significance of Greek Independence Day each year, and to be able to meet with him at the White House on that day. But while there is consensus about those things, there is also sharp disagreement about the way the event has been handled over the years. Some people feel exclud- ed. Case in point: AHEPA, the coun- try’s oldest and largest civic organi- zation of Hellenic heritage, typical- ly sends a contingent of at least five each year, and often up to 8-12. It did not get to seat as many people at this year’s event, held in the East Room of the White House just last AHEPA President Ike Gulas New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg addresses the audience during a reception he hosted at Gracie Mansion in New York City for the 188th an- week. niversary of Greek Independence on Monday, March 30, 2009.
    [Show full text]
  • Euroscepticism in Political Parties of Greece
    VYTAUTAS MAGNUS UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND DIPLOMACY DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Eimantas Kočanas EUROSCEPTICISM IN POLITICAL PARTIES OF GREECE Master’s Thesis Contemporary European politics study program, state code 621L20005 Political sciences study direction Supervisor: Prof. Doc. Mindaugas Jurkynas Defended: PMDF Dean - Prof. Doc. Šarūnas Liekis Kaunas 2016 European Union is like a painting displayed in a museum. Some admire it, others critique it, and few despise it. In all regards, the fact that the painting is being criticized only shows that there is no true way to please everybody – be it in art or politics. - Author of this paper. 1 Summary Eimantas Kocanas ‘Euroscepticism in political parties of Greece’, Master’s Thesis. Paper supervisor Prof. Doc. Mindaugas Jurkynas, Kaunas Vytautas Magnus University, Department of Diplomacy and Political Sciences. Faculty of Political Sciences. Euroscepticism (anti-EUism) had become a subject of analysis in contemporary European studies due to its effect on governments, parties and nations. With Greece being one of the nations in the center of attention on effects of Euroscepticism, it’s imperative to constantly analyze and research the eurosceptic elements residing within the political elements of this nation. Analyzing eurosceptic elements within Greek political parties, the goal is to: detect, analyze and evaluate the expressions of Euroscepticism in political parties of Greece. To achieve this: 1). Conceptualization of Euroscepticism is described; 2). Methods of its detection and measurement are described; 3). Methods of Euroscepticism analysis are applied to political parties of Greece in order to conclude what type and expressions of eurosceptic behavior are present. To achieve the goal presented in this paper, political literature, on the subject of Euroscepticism: 1).
    [Show full text]
  • The European Parliament and Greece's Accession to the European Community
    BRIEFING European Parliament History Series The European Parliament and Greece's accession to the European Community SUMMARY Enlargement of the European Communities (EC) to the south represented one of the most profound changes in European politics of the 1980s. It dramatically altered political, economic and social structures not only in the EC and the then Member States, but also in the three accession countries: Greece, Portugal and Spain. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Greece's accession to the European Communities (now Union). Greece became the tenth EC Member State in 1981, following its transformation from an authoritarian to a democratic system of government. Importantly, Greece’s EC accession was connected with the consolidation of the country’s emerging democratic system, starting with the transitional government under Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis from July 1974 on. Although in the mid-1970s it was not formally involved in deciding on EC membership, the European Parliament saw itself politically obliged to discuss the major guidelines of EC accession and to assert the need for democratic conditions in Greece. Against this background, this Briefing looks at the democratisation process in Greece and the country's EC accession from the perspective of the European Parliament. First, it demonstrates that the Parliament demanded the fulfilment of fundamental democratic criteria before accepting any rapprochement between Greece and the Community. Resting on the basic understanding of democracy, the core demand was the holding of free and fair parliamentary elections. Second, it shows that, following the establishment of democratic structures, the European Parliament quickly developed relations with Greece, for example with the Greek Parliament in the form of a joint parliamentary committee.
    [Show full text]
  • State Transformation and the European Integration Project Lessons from the Financial Crisis and the Greek Paradigm Evangelos Venizelos No
    State Transformation and the European Integration Project Lessons from the financial crisis and the Greek paradigm Evangelos Venizelos No. 130/February 2016 Abstract The financial crisis that erupted in the eurozone not only affected the EU’s financial governance mechanisms, but also the very nature of state sovereignty and balances in the relations of member states; thus, the actual inequalities between the member states hidden behind their institutional equality have deteriorated. This transformation is recorded in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union and the member states’ constitutional courts, particularly in those at the heart of the crisis, with Greece as the most prominent example. It is the issue of public debt (sovereign debt) of the EU member states that particularly reflects the influence of the crisis on state sovereignty as well as the intensely transnational (intergovernmental) character of European integration, which under these circumstances takes the form of a continuous, tough negotiation. The historical connection between public debt (sovereign debt) and state sovereignty has re-emerged because of the financial crisis. This development has affected not only the European institutions, but also, at the member state level, the actual institutional content of the rule of law (especially judicial review) and the welfare state in its essence, as the great social and political acquis of 20th century Europe. From this perspective, the way that the Greek courts have dealt with the gradual waves of fiscal austerity measures and structural reforms from 2010 to 2015 is characteristic. The effect of the financial crisis on the sovereignty of the member states and on the pace of European integration also has an impact on European foreign and security policy, and the correlations between the political forces at both the national and European level, thus producing even more intense pressures on European social democracy.
    [Show full text]
  • Civil-Military Relations: a Comparative Analysis of the Role of the Military in the Political Transformation of Post-War Turkey and Greece: 1980-1995
    CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE ROLE OF THE MILITARY IN THE POLITICAL TRANSFORMATION OF POST-WAR TURKEY AND GREECE: 1980-1995 Dr. Gerassimos Karabelias Final Report submitted to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in June 1998 1 ABSTRACT This report attempts to determine the evolution of civil-military relations in Turkey and Greece during the 1980-1995 period through an examination of the role of the military in the political transformation of both countries. Since the mid-1970s and especially after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the struggle for spreading the winds of democracy around the globe has been the goal of all western states and particularly the United States of America. However, taking into consideration the volatility in the Balkans and in Central Asia, the military institution of Turkey and Greece which gave the impression that it withdrew in the barracks after their last intervention in 1980-83 and 1967-74 respectively, could easily be forced or even tempted to assume a greater responsibility in the conduct of each country’s domestic and foreign affairs. Only through a better understanding of its role during the 1980-95 period, we would be able to determine the feasibility of such scenarios. Using a multi-factorial model as a protection from the short- sighted results which the majority of mono-factorial approaches produce, this report starts with the analysis of the distinct role which the Armed Forces of each country have had in the historical evolution of their respective civil-military relations up to 1980 (Part One of Chapters Two and Three).
    [Show full text]
  • Election and Aftermath
    Order Code RS20575 Updated June 9, 2000 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Greece: Election and Aftermath (name redacted) Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary Prime Minister Simitis of Greece called an early election for April 9, 2000 because he believed that his government’s achievement in meeting the criteria for entry into the European Monetary Union (EMU) would return his PanHellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) party to power. PASOK’s narrow victory endorsed Simitis’s decision, but the opposition New Democracy’s (ND) strong showing also validated Costas Karamanlis’s leadership of that party. The election continued a trend toward bipolarism, as votes for smaller parties, except for the Communists, declined appreciably. Simitis reappointed most key members of his previous government, and brought in close allies and technocrats to carry out a revitalized domestic agenda. In foreign policy, the government will try to continue the Greek-Turkish rapprochement, to help stabilize the Balkans, and to move closer to Europe through the EMU and the European Security and Defense Policy. Greek-U.S. relations are warm, but intermittently troubled by differences over the future of the former Yugoslavia, terrorism and counterterrorism in Greece, and minor issues. This report will be updated if developments warrant. Introduction1 On February 4, 2000, Prime Minister Costas Simitis called an early election for April 9, six months before his government’s term was to expire. On March 9, parliament reelected President Costas Stephanopoulos and Greece applied for membership in the European Monetary Union (EMU) single currency zone.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 Summary Report
    2019 SUMMARY REPORT athensdemocracyforum.com Global Conversation: Reinventing Democracy SESSION BRIEFINGS athensdemocracyforum.com 2 WELCOME REMARKS Achilles Tsaltas, President, Athens Democracy Forum Achilles Tsaltas welcomed delegates and esteemed guests to the seventh edition of the Athens Democracy Forum, introducing the five challenges of populism, new communication technologies, enormous gaps in personal wealth, the shifting terrain of the political-party system, and a sense of alienation and loss among many people, that represent the key themes for this year’s program. Reiterating the importance of preserving democracy as the only viable form of social organization, he outlined democracy as a constant process of reinvention and revival. Mr. Tsaltas warned that many of today’s democracies are so polarized, that they seem paralyzed. While optimists view the current threats to democracy as a natural process of decay and revival, he said, the pessimists are likely to consider the potential for decline into chaos and tyranny. He declared that this year’s conference brings together a sampling of both optimists and pessimists among participants, stating that through their debates and presentations, delegates will be able to glean a better understanding of where democracy might be headed. Mr. Tsaltas explained that the Athens Democracy Forum is becoming a nerve center for democratic debate, and described the new structure of the event, now hosted by the Democracy & Culture Foundation, a nonprofit entity, in association with The New York Times. Mr. Tsaltas thanked all conference partners and sponsors for their commitment. athensdemocracyforum.com 3 Annika Savill, Executive Head, UN Democracy Fund, United Nations Annika Savill underlined the task in front of delegates at this year’s event, highlighting the inspiration they might derive from the City of Athens itself, as the cradle of democracy.
    [Show full text]
  • Rethinking Athenian Democracy.Pdf
    Rethinking Athenian Democracy A dissertation presented by Daniela Louise Cammack to The Department of Government in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of Political Science Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts January 2013 © 2013 Daniela Cammack All rights reserved. Professor Richard Tuck Daniela Cammack Abstract Conventional accounts of classical Athenian democracy represent the assembly as the primary democratic institution in the Athenian political system. This looks reasonable in the light of modern democracy, which has typically developed through the democratization of legislative assemblies. Yet it conflicts with the evidence at our disposal. Our ancient sources suggest that the most significant and distinctively democratic institution in Athens was the courts, where decisions were made by large panels of randomly selected ordinary citizens with no possibility of appeal. This dissertation reinterprets Athenian democracy as “dikastic democracy” (from the Greek dikastēs, “judge”), defined as a mode of government in which ordinary citizens rule principally through their control of the administration of justice. It begins by casting doubt on two major planks in the modern interpretation of Athenian democracy: first, that it rested on a conception of the “wisdom of the multitude” akin to that advanced by epistemic democrats today, and second that it was “deliberative,” meaning that mass discussion of political matters played a defining role. The first plank rests largely on an argument made by Aristotle in support of mass political participation, which I show has been comprehensively misunderstood. The second rests on the interpretation of the verb “bouleuomai” as indicating speech, but I suggest that it meant internal reflection in both the courts and the assembly.
    [Show full text]
  • Proquest Dissertations
    RICE UNIVERSITY The Struggle for Modern Athens: Unconventional Citizens and the Shaping of a New Political Reality by Othon Alexandrakis A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE Doctor of Philosophy APPROVED, THESIS COMMITTEE: ttill g^ jLS^x£ft //t/T- Jafmelames Faubi((nFaubioV, Professor, Anthropology Amy Ninetto, Assistant Professor^Anthropology Lora Wildenthal, Associate Professor, History Eugenia Georges, Professor, Anthropology HOUSTON, TEXAS FEBRUARY 2010 UMI Number: 3421434 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT Dissertation Publishing UMI 3421434 Copyright 2010 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Copyright Othon Alexandrakis 2010 ABSTRACT The Struggle for Modern Athens: Unconventional Citizens and the Shaping of a New Political Reality by Othon Alexandrakis The dissertation is based on over one-and-a-half years of ethnographic field research conducted in Athens, Greece, among various diverse populations practicing unconventional modes of citizenship, that is, citizenship imagined and practiced in contradiction to traditional, prescribed, or sanctioned civil identities. I focus specifically on newcomer undocumented migrant populations from Africa, the broadly segregated and disenfranchised Roma (Gypsy) community, and the rapidly growing anti- establishment youth population.
    [Show full text]