Greece has come a long way since the dark days of 2015, but has it fully recovered? In this episode of The Agora, Nick Malkoutzis speaks with Peter Sanfey and Dimitris Sourvanos, authors of the new Hellenic Observatory paper Out of the Abyss, to unpack Greece’s decade‑long journey from crisis to stability.

Peter Sanfey is the Deputy Director for Country Economics, Strategy and Policy at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Dimitris Sourvanos is a Principal Political Counsellor at the EBRD.

Drawing on their “10×10” benchmarking of Greece’s performance across ten socioeconomic dimensions, the discussion explores where the country has made real progress, and where deep structural gaps remain. From happiness and household confidence to governance, education, financial resilience, digitalisation and the green transition, this conversation goes beyond headline GDP figures to examine the lived reality of recovery.

Is Greece converging with Europe? Why are businesses optimistic while households remain cautious? And what reforms will matter most in the decade ahead?

A data‑rich, nuanced look at Greece’s post‑crisis trajectory, and what comes next.

Useful reading

Out of the abyss: has Greece fully recovered from the crisis? Sanfey, P. & Sourvanos, D. (2026). (GreeSE Papers 220). Hellenic Observatory, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greece’s political landscape is shifting at remarkable speed. Alexis Tsipras’s new party, ELAS, has upended the opposition, destabilised SYRIZA, rattled PASOK, and pushed New Democracy into full campaign mode. With voters frustrated, trust low, and new actors entering the scene, the run‑up to the next elections is proving unusually volatile.

In this episode, Nick Malkoutzis is joined by MacroPolis co‑founder Yiannis Mouzakis and features editor Georgia Nakou to unpack the major developments:

– New Democracy’s stability‑focused messaging and internal anxieties

– ELAS’s rapid rise and organisational build‑out

– SYRIZA’s existential crisis

– PASOK’s strategic confusion

– The rise - and subsequent slide - of Maria Karystianou’s Elpida

As Greece heads toward elections, which are expected later this year or next spring, the political system is entering a new phase of flux. Yiannis and Georgia help us make sense of what’s driving this moment and what we should expect next.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greece says it is entering a new era of “brain regain”. Government programmes like Rebrain Greece are touring European capitals, employers are hiring, and the economy is finally growing again. But is the tide really turning?

In this episode of The Agora, host Nick Malkoutzis digs into the data behind Greece’s talent flows, and finds a far more complicated picture. While official narratives highlight return migration, European surveys show the number of Greeks abroad is still rising, especially among university graduates. And the deeper, structural drivers of the brain drain remain stubbornly in place.

To make sense of it all, we speak with Dr Elli Siapkidou, a UK‑based researcher who attended the recent Rebrain Greece event in London. She offers a first‑hand view of what these initiatives can achieve, and what they cannot.

Is Greece truly reversing the brain drain, or simply reframing it? And what would real, evidence‑based “brain regain” actually require?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The war in Iran is sending economic and energy shockwaves far beyond the Middle East, and Greece is no exception. Rising oil and gas prices, renewed inflation pressures, and uncertainty in global energy markets are already shaping the country’s outlook.

In this episode of The Agora, we break down how a conflict thousands of kilometres away is affecting Greece’s economy, energy security, and political decisions.

MacroPolis co founder Yiannis Mouzakis joins us to assess the economic implications, from inflation risks to the government’s fiscal plans. Georgia Nakou, MacroPolis features editor and energy expert, explains how turbulence in global energy markets could impact Greece’s energy system and long term strategy.

If you want to understand how international crises ripple into Greece - through prices, policy, and the energy system - we've got you covered.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a set of long‑lost photographs of the 1944 May Day executions of 200 Greeks by Nazi occupation forces suddenly surfaced on eBay in February, Greece was shaken.

The images — the first ever to show the two hundred political prisoners, Communists, walking to their deaths at the Kaisariani shooting range in Athens — reopened a chapter of history that has never stopped shaping the country’s politics.

With the help of our guest Professor Elias Dinas from the European University Institute in Florence, in this episode we explore why these photographs matter now: how they collide with decades of suppressed memory, why Kaisariani remains a defining symbol for the Greek Left, and what their reappearance reveals about the ongoing struggle over who gets to tell the story of the past.

Useful reading

Never-before-seen photos of Nazi executions in Greece surface on eBay – France24

‘We can see that courage’: Greece recovers long-lost photos of Nazis’ May Day executions – The Guardian

Man moved as photo of grandfather’s execution by Nazis surfaces - Kathimerini

Message from the past, mirror for today - Kathimerini

Kaisariani Execution: Three More Historic Photographs Surface – To Vima

Photographs of 1944 Nazi Executions in Greece Declared Protected Monument – Dnews

Cretan Man Recognizes His Grandfather in Kaisariani Execution Pics – To Vima

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greece is navigating one of its most complex geopolitical moments in years — from tensions stretching across Venezuela, Greenland, Iran, and Ukraine to the high‑stakes energy diplomacy of the Vertical Corridor.

With pressure mounting on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Athens is working to balance alliances, protect its credibility, and seize new economic openings.

In this episode, host Nick Malkoutzis is joined by George Tzogopoulos, Senior Fellow at ELIAMEP and Director of EU–China Programs at the European Institute of Nice. George breaks down the strategic dilemmas shaping Greece’s foreign policy amid the uncertainty created by US President Donald Trump's global designs.

Useful reading

Athens navigates geopolitical whirlwind - Kathimerini

Greece’s Vertical Corridor Heads to Washington After Athens Energy Summit - OT

Trump’s erratic trade policy blamed for US gas auction flop in Eastern Europe - Politico

Athens fears Turkish trap on Trump's peace board - Euractiv

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greece's 2026 budget was voted through Parliament on Tuesday, just ahead of the Christmas break. It contained some gifts for Greek taxpayers as it includes the tax cuts worth 1.2 billion euros that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had announced earlier in the year.

But what else of note is in the budget? MacroPolis co-founder Yiannis Mouzakis joins host Nick Malkoutzis in The Agora to discuss the details of the economic plan.

They take a closer look at the role of investments and Greece's broader economic story as it heads into the New Year.

Useful reading

Greek parliament approves 2026 budget amid protests - Reuters

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greece is trying to secure a central role in the global energy game. In this episode of *The Agora*, we explore how a flurry of recent deals is positioning the country as a key player in the transatlantic energy landscape.

From the launch of the Vertical Corridor - linking U.S. LNG to Ukraine via Greece - to offshore drilling in the Ionian Sea and the revival of the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) with Cyprus, the stakes are high but the ambitions seem to be even higher.

Is this a strategic masterstroke or a risky bet? Host Nick Malkoutzis is joined by MacroPolis energy expert Georgia Nakou to unpack the geopolitical, environmental and domestic implications of Greece’s energy pivot.

We examine whether Greece can balance power and principle in its new starring role.

Useful reading

Ionian Sea gas exploration deal a ‘vote of confidence’ - Kathimerini

Greece signs first long-term deal to supply Europe with US LNG - Reuters

Athens and Kyiv sign LNG deal as Greece adopts US energy agenda - Politico

Greece: Offshore gas instead of green energy projects? - Deutsche Welle

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past year the United States has reset its trade stance through a series of executive tariff moves and a high profile EU–US framework that established a 15 percent baseline levy.

In this episode we’ll trace how a headline tariff number translates into real costs for businesses in Greece and what broader implications there are for global trade.

Our guest on The Agora is Jens Bastian, an independent economic consultant and author of a timely briefing for MacroPolis on the likely effects of recent US tariff policy on Europe, but also the Greek economy specifically.

Useful reading

How will Trump's tariffs affect Greece? - MacroPolis

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greece's new political season is underway and it promises to be full of twists and turns as the ruling New Democracy party tries to perform a course correction to get on track for a decisive third straight election victory.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis got the ball rolling this month by announcing a package of significant tax cuts, mostly aimed at helping Greek households cope with ongoing cost-of-living challenges.

Mitsotakis is hoping that the reductions will help rebuild his government's damaged relationship with voters, keep the opposition parties at bay and put the ruling centre-right party on a trajectory that would secure it another parliamentary majority in the next elections, which are due in 2027.

MacroPolis co-founder Yiannis Mouzakis and features editor Georgia Nakou join host Nick Malkoutzis in The Agora to discuss the economic and political implications of the Greek PM's announcements.

Useful reading

Greek Premier Offers €1.6 Billion Tax Cuts to Spur Middle Class - Bloomberg

Greek PM unveils tax breaks amid cost of living crisis - Reuters

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.