EDITORIAL

Dimitris Mouchlidis
(Director of Communication, Regnum Communication & Strategy based in Athens, Greece)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) – Publication date on 26 February 2015

The necessary compromise so that Greece remains in the euro area was completed with the agreement on reforms submitted by the Greek Government a few days ago. Auspiciously the country closes five years in a program. All these years, society, public opinion, political parties and the political system in general have not been able to put up with the idea of the Memorandum. In other words, all this time the country is in a state of denial...Read more

Copyright: Congress of the United States – Publication date on RIEAS web site (www.rieas.gr) on 17 February 2015

As Members of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus, we were encouraged to hear your comments in relation to assisting our ally Greece and helping their recently elected government craft and implement a new, pro-growth strategy... Read more

Tassos Symeonides
(RIEAS Academic Advisor based in Seattle, USA)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies – Publication date on 6 February 2015

The facts of the situation are clear. The Greek debt cannot be repaid. When the bottom dropped out of the global economy, Greece, plagued by a corrupt and indebted government, was the most vulnerable of the European Union nations. The so-called "troika" — the EU, the European Central Bank and the IMF — stepped in to bail out reckless banks, assume most of the debt, and inflict harsh terms on the Greeks to repay it. The Greeks have sold off their assets, crushed workers, trampled labor laws and slashed vital public services to ensure that the private bankers be paid.

Katrina vanden Heuvel, Washington Post, February 3, 2015

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The electoral victory of the SYRIZA radical left party in the Greek general election of January 25, 2015 came as no surprise after five years of resoundingly inept and catastrophic "bailout policy choices" by the European Union and its current driving force, Germany. The Greek calamity was compounded by the eye-popping servility of consecutive Greek governments, beginning with the George Papandreou administration, which threw the Greek gates wide open to "salvation" by the IMF and the revanchist whims of the lenders.

Yannick Veilleux-Lepage

(PhD candidate at the Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, located at the University of St. Andrews. His doctoral research focuses on the historical antecedents, and the evolution of, modern terrorism. He holds a Masters of Arts in International Affairs (Conflict Analysis) and a Bachelors of Arts in Directed Interdisciplinary Studies (Security Studies) from Carleton University, Canada).

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date on 31 January 2015.

In recent months, western intelligence officials and policy makers have been continuing to grow increasingly concerned that a new wave of terrorism will soon sweep over Europe, driven by the civil war in Syria and the continuing instability in Iraq. Many of these concerns stem from upwards of 3,000 foreign fighters travelling from Western countries to swell the ranks of the Islamic State (IS) and the fear of 'blowback' ("Islamic State crisis," 2014). Ultimately, the concern is that westerners who have joined the Islamic State will return further radicalized, battle-hardened, and influenced by extensive radical networks and that they might be more likely to commit terrorist attack on their home soil. The recent attacks on the Jewish Museum in Brussels, allegedly committed by a French national returning from fighting in Syria, seems to confirm that these fears may indeed be founding in reality.... Read more

By Tim Lister and Ioannis Mantzikos, CNN

Copyright: http://edition.cnn.com Publication Date on RIEAS web site: 26 January 2015

(CNN) The new Greek government has plenty of challenges ahead of it: A towering debt, chronic unemployment and relations with the rest of Europe. But it also has an urgent security problem.

Greece has become an unwitting crossroads -- both for jihadists trying to reach Iraq and Syria from Europe, and for fighters returning home from the Middle East.
Greece's long land and maritime boundaries, its proximity to Turkey, the explosion of illegal migration from Syria and the country's dire financial situation make it an inviting hub for jihadist groups, according to multiple counterterrorism sources... Read more

Antonia Dimou
(RIEAS Senior advisor based in Athens, Greece and Associate at the Centre for Strategic Studies, University of Jordan)

John Nomikos
Director of the Research Institute for European and American Studies based in Athens, Greece)

Copyright: Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) – Publication on RIEAS web site on 23 January 2015

The upcoming January 25, 2015 national elections in Greece highlight a major challenge as they present a struggle between anger against austerity and fear of euro exit. The apparent reason that led to early national elections is the failure of the coalition government to obtain a parliamentary majority to appoint a candidate as president of the Republic . The hidden motive behind the declaration of early elections however was the volatile political landscape that made strenuous coalition government's compliance with the Troika's tough agenda thus postponing structural policy reforms by fear of the social effects that could be translated into high political cost. The Greek Prime Minister was between Scylla and Charybdis in terms of sustaining the coalition government and meeting Troika's demands for unimpeded economic support... Read more (English) & Read more (Russian)