| Coordinates | 37°58′N 23°43′E |
|---|---|
| Official language and national language | Greek |
| Long name | Hellenic Republic |
| Native name | Ellinikí Dimokratía |
| Life span | 1974–present |
| Alt flag 2 | 1978 - present |
| National motto | "Eleftheria i thanatos" Ελευθερία ή θάνατος "Freedom or Death" |
| National anthem | «Ύμνος εις την Ελευθερίαν» |
| Capital | Athens |
| Largest city | capital |
| Demonym | Greeks, Hellenes |
| Title leader | President |
| Leader 1 | Phaedon Gizikis (First during the Democratic Transition) |
| Year leader 1 | Jul–Dec 1974 |
| Leader 2 | Michail Stasinopoulos (First after the Democratic Transition) |
| Year leader 2 | 1974–1975 |
| Leader 3 | Konstantinos Tsatsos |
| Year leader 3 | 1975–1980 |
| Leader 4 | Konstantinos Karamanlis |
| Year leader 4 | 1980–1985 |
| Leader 5 | Ioannis Alevras (acting) |
| Year leader 5 | 10 Mar–30 Mar 1985 |
| Leader 6 | Christos Sartzetakis |
| Year leader 6 | 1985–1990 |
| Leader 7 | Konstantinos Karamanlis |
| Year leader 7 | 1990–1995 |
| Leader 8 | Konstantinos Stephanopoulos |
| Year leader 8 | 1995–2005 |
| Leader 9 | Karolos Papoulias |
| Year leader 9 | 2005–2015 |
| Leader 10 | Prokopis Pavlopoulos |
| Year leader 10 | 2015–2020 |
| Leader 11 | Katerina Sakellaropoulou |
| Year leader 11 | 2020–2025 |
| Leader 12 | Konstantinos Tasoulas |
| Year leader 12 | 2025–present |
| Title deputy | Prime Minister |
| Deputy 1 | Konstantinos G. Karamanlis (first) |
| Year deputy 1 | 1974–1980 |
| Deputy 2 | Kyriakos Mitsotakis (current) |
| Year deputy 2 | 2019–May 2023, Jun 2023–present |
| Legislature | Hellenic Parliament |
| Established event 1 | Independence declared from the Ottoman Empire |
| Established date 1 | 25 March 1821 (traditional starting date of the Greek War of Independence), 15 January 1822 (official declaration) |
| Established event 2 | Recognised |
| Established date 2 | 3 February 1830 |
| Established event 3 | Established |
| Established date 3 | 24 July 1974 |
| Established event 4 | Current constitution |
| Established date 4 | 11 June 1975 |
| Area | 131,957 km² |
| Area footnote | [1] |
| Area rank | 95th |
| Area | 50,949 sq mi |
| Percent water | 0.8669 |
| Population estimate (2017) | 10,768,477 |
| Population census (2011) | 10,816,286[2] |
| Population census rank | 80th |
| Population density | 82[3] km² |
| Population density rank | 125th |
| Population density | 212 sq mi |
| Gdp ppp (2019) | $326.700 billion[4] |
| Gdp ppp rank | 57th |
| Gdp ppp per capita | $30,522[4] |
| Gdp ppp per capita rank | 47th |
| Gdp nominal (2019) | $224.033 billion[4] |
| Gdp nominal rank | 52nd |
| Gdp nominal per capita | $20,930[4] |
| Gdp nominal per capita rank | 38th |
| Gini (2018) | 32.3 |
| Gini change | decrease |
| Gini rank | 60th |
| Hdi (2019) | 0.888 |
| Hdi change | increase |
| Hdi rank | 32nd |
| Currency | Euro (€) (since 2001) Modern drachma (until 2001) |
| Currency code | EUR (since 2001), GRD (until 2001) |
| Time zone | Eastern European Time |
| Time zone dst | Eastern European Summer Time |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy (AD) |
The Third Hellenic Republic (Greek: Γ΄ Ελληνική Δημοκρατία) is the period in modern Greek history that stretches from 1974, with the fall of the Greek military junta and the final confirmation of the abolition of the Greek monarchy, to the present day. Today, it is the current government of Greece.
It is considered the third period of republican rule in Greece, following the First Republic during the Greek War of Independence (1821–1832) and the Second Republic during the temporary abolition of the monarchy in 1924–1935.
The term metapolitefsi (μεταπολίτευση, polity change) is commonly used for the entire period, but when used more strictly, this term refers to the early part of the period, beginning with the fall of the junta and culminating in the democratic transformation of the country. While the First and Second Hellenic Republics are not in common use except in a historiographic context, the term Third Hellenic Republic is used frequently.[5][6]
The Third Hellenic Republic has been characterised by the development of social freedoms and the European orientation of Greece. Greece became the tenth member of the European Communities in 1981, ushering in sustained growth. Investments in industrial enterprises and heavy infrastructure, as well as funds from the European Union and growing revenue from tourism, shipping, and a fast-growing service sector raised the standard of living, a trend which reached its zenith around the time of the 2004 Summer Olympics to the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. The country adopted the euro in 2001 and successfully hosted the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens.[7] In 2010, Greece suffered from the Great Recession and related European sovereign debt crisis. The crisis ended around 2018, with the end of the bailout mechanisms and return of growth.[8] Politically, the parties ND and PASOK have been dominant, although PASOK has declined since the 2010s, being replaced by Syriza as the largest party of the left.
Events
The former prime minister Konstantinos Karamanlis was invited back from self-exile and the first multiparty elections since 1964 were held on the first anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising. A democratic and republican constitution was promulgated in 1975 following a referendum which chose not to restore the monarchy. Meanwhile, Andreas Papandreou, George Papandreou's son, founded the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) in response to Karamanlis's conservative New Democracy party, with the two political formations dominating government over the next four decades. Greece rejoined NATO in 1980.[a][9]
Greece became the tenth member of the European Communities in 1981, ushering in sustained growth. Investments in industrial enterprises and heavy infrastructure, as well as funds from the European Union and growing revenue from tourism, shipping, and a fast-growing service sector raised the standard of living. In 1981, Andreas Papandreou came to power and implemented an ambitious program of social reforms. He recognised civil marriage, the dowry was abolished, while expanding access to education and health care. However, he made controversial foreign policy decisions that fueled the rise of terrorism in Greece. Papandreou's tenure has been associated with corruption (see Koskotas and Yugoslav corn scandals), the first constitutional crisis of the new republic, and economic policies failed to address the persistent stagflation and chronic budget deficits that exacerbated Greece's economic problems.[10][11]
The 1990s saw the standard of living among Greeks steadily increase, a trend which reached its zenith around the time of the 2004 Summer Olympics to the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. The country adopted the euro in 2001 and successfully hosted the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens.[7]
In 2010, Greece suffered from the Great Recession and related European sovereign debt crisis. The causes of the crisis in Greece have been attributed to a failure of PASOK and ND to fully adopt democratic practices after the end of the monarchy and a failure to modernize their structure.[12][13] Due to the adoption of the euro, Greece could no longer devalue its currency to regain competitiveness.[14] The Greek debt crisis brought about great changes on both a social and political level, and the two main political parties, PASOK and New Democracy, collapsed during the 2012 elections.[15] In 2015, Alexis Tsipras was elected as prime minister, the first outside the two main parties.[16] The Greek government-debt crisis, and subsequent austerity policies, resulted in social strife. The crisis ended around 2018, with the end of the bailout mechanisms and return of growth.[8] Simultaneously, Tsipras, and the leader of North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, signed the Prespa Agreement, solving the naming dispute that had strained the relations and eased the latter's way to become a member of the EU and NATO.[17]
In 2019, Kyriakos Mitsotakis became Greece's new prime minister, after his centre-right New Democracy won the election.[18] The COVID-19 pandemic caused economic hardship for Greece. In 2020, Greece's parliament elected a non-partisan candidate, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, as the first female President of Greece.[19] In February 2024, Greece became the first Orthodox Christian country to recognise same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples.[20]
In 2023, Greece became a member of the Three Seas Initiative.[21]
Presidents of the Third Hellenic Republic
- Michail Stasinopoulos (1974–1975)
- Konstantinos Tsatsos (1975–1980)
- Konstantinos Karamanlis (1980–1985)
- Ioannis Alevras (1985) (Acting)
- Christos Sartzetakis (1985–1990)
- Konstantinos Karamanlis (1990–1995)
- Konstantinos Stephanopoulos (1995–2005)
- Karolos Papoulias (2005–2015)
- Prokopis Pavlopoulos (2015–2020)
- Katerina Sakellaropoulou (2020–2025)
- Konstantinos Tasoulas (2025–present)
Political parties in Third Hellenic Republic
1974–1989
This period began with the centrists and centre-right being dominant, though the former lost support in the late 1970s with the rise of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement. Also the Communist Party of Greece was allowed to take part in elections for first time after the end of the Greek Civil War. The table below shows the results of elections during this period.
| Political position/ Ideology | Political Party | 1974 Legislative Elections | 1977 Legislative Elections | 1981 Legislative Elections | 1981 European Elections | 1984 European Elections | 1985 Legislative Elections | 1989 European Elections | 1989 June Legislative Elections | 1989 Nov Legislative Elections | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |||
| Far-left | KKE | – | 9.36 | 10.93 | 12.84 | 11.64 | 9.89 | – | – | – | |
| KKE interior | – | – | 1.37 | 5.30 | 3.42 | 1.84 | – | – | – | ||
| Left-wing | United Left | 9.47 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| SPADE | – | 2.72 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| SYN | – | – | – | – | – | – | 14.31 | 13.13 | 10.97 | ||
| Centre-left | PASOK | 13.58 | 25.34 | 48.06 | 40.12 | 41.58 | 45.82 | 35.96 | 39.13 | 40.97 | |
| Ecologists | Alternative Ecologists | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1.11 | – | 0.58 | |
| Centre | Centre union | 20.42 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| EDIK | – | 11.95 | 0.40 | 1.12 | 0.28 | – | 0.28 | – | – | ||
| KODISO | – | – | 0.72 | 4.26 | 0.80 | – | – | – | – | ||
| Liberal Party | – | – | 0.37 | 1.04 | 0.35 | 0.17 | 0.40 | 0.10 | 0.08 | ||
| Christian Democracy | – | – | 0.15 | 1.12 | 0.45 | – | 0.41 | 0.20 | – | ||
| Liberals | New Liberals | – | 1.08 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Centre-right | New Democracy | 54.37 | 41.84 | 35.88 | 31.34 | 38.05 | 40.85 | 40.41 | 44.28 | 46.19 | |
| DIANA | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1.36 | 1.01 | – | ||
| Right-wing | EDE | 1.08 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| National Alignment | – | 6.82 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Progressive Party | – | – | 1.69 | 1.96 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Far-right | EPEN | – | – | – | – | 2.29 | 0.60 | 1.16 | 0.30 | – |
1990–2007
This period began with the fall of communist regimes in eastern Europe. It is characterized by the reinforcement of bipartisanship with the two main parties (New Democracy and PASOK) regularly polling over 80% of the vote between them, even reaching 86%.
| Political position/ Ideology | Political Party | 1990 Legislative Elections | 1993 Legislative Elections | 1994 European Elections | 1996 Legislative Elections | 1999 European Elections | 2000 Legislative Elections | 2004 Legislative Elections | 2004 European Elections | 2007 Legislative Elections | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |||
| Far-left | KKE | – | 4.54 | 6.29 | 5.61 | 8.67 | 5.52 | 5.90 | 9.48 | 8.15 | |
| Left-wing | SYN/SYRIZA | 10.28 | 2.94 | 6.25 | 5.12 | 5.16 | 3.20 | 3.26 | 4.16 | 5.04 | |
| Centre-left | PASOK | 38.61 | 46.88 | 37.64 | 41.49 | 32.91 | 43.79 | 40.55 | 34.03 | 38.10 | |
| DIKKI | – | – | – | 4.43 | 6.85 | 2.69 | 1.79 | – | – | ||
| Ecologists | Alternative Ecologists | 0.77 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Ecologist Greens | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0.67 | 1.05 | ||
| Centre | Union of Centrists | – | 0.23 | 1.19 | 0.70 | 0.82 | 0.34 | 0.26 | 0.56 | 0.29 | |
| Liberals | The Liberals | – | – | – | – | 1.62 | – | – | – | – | |
| Centre-right | New Democracy | 46.89 | 39.30 | 32.66 | 38.12 | 36.00 | 42.74 | 45.36 | 43.02 | 41.84 | |
| DIANA | 0.67 | – | 2.79 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Right-wing | Political Spring | – | 4.88 | 8.65 | 2.94 | 2.28 | – | – | – | – | |
| Far-right | EPEN | – | 0.14 | 0.78 | 0.24 | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Golden Dawn | – | – | – | 0.11 | 0.07 | – | – | – | – | ||
| LAOS | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2.19 | 4.12 | 3.80 |
2009–2019
This period corresponds to Greek government-debt crisis, that changed dramatically the political stage. Early in the period, PASOK were able to capitalise on a loss of support for ND. However, by the early 2010s, PASOK were also attracting blame for their handling of the crisis, and the radical party SYRIZA became the largest party on the left. The position of the far-right was also strengthened in this period.
SYRIZA has since overtaken PASOK as the main party of the centre-left.[22]Alexis Tsipras led SYRIZA to victory in the general election held on 25 January 2015, falling short of an outright majority in Parliament by just two seats.[23] The following morning, Tsipras reached an agreement with Independent Greeks party to form a coalition, and he was sworn in as Prime Minister of Greece.[24] Tsipras called snap elections in August 2015, resigning from his post, which led to a month-long caretaker administration headed by judge Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou, Greece's first female prime minister.[25] In the September 2015 general election, Alexis Tsipras led SYRIZA to another victory, winning 145 out of 300 seats [26] and re-forming the coalition with the Independent Greeks.[27] However, he was defeated in the July 2019 general election by Kyriakos Mitsotakis who leads New Democracy.[28] On 7 July 2019, Kyriakos Mitsotakis was sworn in as the new prime minister of Greece. He formed a centre-right government after the landslide victory of his New Democracy party.[29]
| Political position/ Ideology | Political Party | 2009 European Elections | 2009 Legislative Elections | 2012 May Legislative Elections | 2012 June Legislative Elections | 2014 European Elections | 2015 Jan. Legislative Elections | 2015 Sept. Legislative Elections | 2019 European Elections | 2019 Legislative Elections | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |||
| Far-left | KKE | 8.35 | 7.54 | 8.48 | 4.50 | 6.11 | 5.47 | 5.55 | 5.33 | 5.30 | |
| ANTARSYA | 0.43 | 0.36 | 1.19 | 0.33 | 0.72 | 0.64 | 0.85 | 0.64 | 0.41 | ||
| Left wing | SYRIZA | 4.70 | 4.60 | 16.79 | 26.89 | 26.57 | 36.34 | 35.46 | 23.78 | 31.53 | |
| Popular Unity | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.86 | 0.56 | 0.23 | ||
| MeRA25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.99 | 3.44 | ||
| Course of Freedom | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1.61 | 1.46 | ||
| Centre-left | PASOK / (MC, OT, DC) | 36.64 | 43.92 | 13.18 | 12.28 | 8.02 | 4.68 | 6.28 | 7.72 | 8.10 | |
| Democratic Left | — | — | 6.11 | 6.25 | 1.20 | 0.49 | — | — | — | ||
| Social Agreement | — | — | 0.96 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| The River | — | — | — | — | 6.60 | 6.05 | 4.09 | 1.51 | — | ||
| KIDISO | — | — | — | — | — | 2.46 | — | — | — | ||
| Ecologist | Ecologist Greens | 3.49 | 2.53 | 2.93 | 0.88 | 0.90 | — | — | 0.87 | — | |
| Centre | Union of Centrists | 0.38 | 0.27 | 0.61 | 0.28 | 0.65 | 1.79 | 3.43 | 1.45 | 1.24 | |
| Teleia | — | — | — | — | — | 1.77 | — | — | — | ||
| Liberal | Drassi | 0.76 | — | 1.80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Recreate Greece | — | — | 2.15 | — | — | — | 0.53 | 0.69 | 0.74 | ||
| Democratic Alliance | — | — | 2.55 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Drassi/Recreate Greece | — | — | — | 1.59 | 0.91 | — | — | — | — | ||
| Greek European Citizens | — | — | — | — | 1.40 | — | — | — | — | ||
| Centre-right | New Democracy | 32.29 | 33.48 | 18.85 | 29.66 | 22.72 | 27.81 | 28.10 | 33.13 | 39.85 | |
| Right wing | PAMME | 1.27 | – | – | – | – | – | — | — | — | |
| Independent Greeks | — | — | 10.62 | 7.51 | 3.46 | 4.75 | 3.69 | 0.80 | — | ||
| UFP | — | — | — | — | 1.04 | — | — | — | — | ||
| Far Right | LAOS | 7.14 | 5.63 | 2.89 | 1.58 | 2.69 | 1.03 | — | 1.23 | — | |
| Golden Dawn | 0.46 | 0.29 | 6.97 | 6.92 | 9.39 | 6.28 | 6.99 | 4.88 | 2.93 | ||
| Greek Solution | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4.18 | 3.70 |
2020s
In March 2020, Greece's parliament elected a non-partisan candidate, Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou, as the first female President of Greece.[30]
In June 2023, conservative New Democracy party won the legislative election, meaning another four-year term as prime minister for Kyriakos Mitsotakis.[31]
Notes
- ^ On 14 August 1974 Greek forces withdrew from the integrated military structure of NATO in protest at the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus; Greece rejoined NATO in 1980.
References
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- ^ "el:Απογραφή Πληθυσμού – Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός" [Results of Population-Housing Census 2011 concerning the permanent population of the country] (PDF) (in Greek). 20 March 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Announcement of the results of the 2011 Population Census for the Resident Population". Hellenic Statistical Authority. 28 December 2012. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- ^ "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects". IMF. 20 October 2018.
- ^ Ιορδάνογλου, Χρυσάφης Ι. (2002). Γερνώντας μαζί με την τρίτη ελληνική δημοκρατία. Εκδόσεις Παρατηρητής. ISBN 960-374-232-5.
- ^ Μαυρογένης, Γιώργος (2008). Πολιτική Επικοινωνία & ΜΜΕ (Κεφάλαιο 17: Πολιτική Επικοινωνία στην Τρίτη Ελληνική Δημοκρατία). Εκδόσεις Σταμούλη. ISBN 9789603517566.
- ^ "Greece". European Union. Archived 26 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 April 2007.
- ^ "Greece exits final bailout successfully: ESM". Reuters. 20 August 2018. Archived 31 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- ^ History, Editorial Consultant: Adam Hart-Davis. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 978-1-85613-062-2.
- ^ "The ideal Greek everyman: Andreas Papandreou at 100". EUROPP. 5 February 2019. Archived 9 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ "H ποιότητα στην Γ΄ Ελληνική Δημοκρατία". kathimerini.gr. 15 August 2004. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- ^ "H ποιότητα στην Γ΄ Ελληνική Δημοκρατία". kathimerini.gr. 15 August 2004. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- ^ "Τρίτη Ελληνική Δημοκρατία. Του Γ. Ρωμαίου". tvxs.gr. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- ^ Baten, Jörg (2016). A History of the Global Economy. From 1500 to the Present. Cambridge University Press. p. 66. ISBN 978-1-107-50718-0.
- ^ Konstantinidou, Diana (28 June 2012). "Elections 2012: the Greek political system in flux?". Greece@LSE. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ "Syriza's historic win puts Greece on collision course with Europe". amp.theguardian.com. 26 January 2015. Archived 10 June 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ "After the Prespa Agreement: Why North Macedonia's Accession to EU won't happen in the near future | Ústav mezinárodních vztahů – Expertise to impact" (in Czech). www.iir.cz. Archived 9 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ "New era as Mitsotakis is sworn in as Greece's new PM". www.aljazeera.com. Archived 26 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ^ "Greece swears in first female president". www.aljazeera.com
- ^ Smith, Helena (15 February 2024). "Greece becomes first Orthodox Christian country to legalise same-sex marriage". The Guardian. Archived 10 June 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
- ^ Wójcik, P. (2024). New in and for the Three Seas Initiative: The Importance of Greece in the CEE and SEE Format for Transregional Infrastructure Cooperation. In P. Pietrzak (Ed.), Analyzing Global Responses to Contemporary Regional Conflicts (pp. 163-187). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-2837-8.ch008
- ^ Katsourides, Yiannos (22 September 2016). Radical Left Parties in Government: The Cases of SYRIZA and AKEL. Springer. ISBN 9781137588418.
- ^ "Greece election: Anti-austerity Syriza wins election". BBC News. 26 January 2015.
- ^ Tran, Mark (26 January 2015). "Alexis Tsipras sworn in as new Greek prime minister – as it happened". The Guardian
- ^ "Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou became Greece's first female Prime Minister | Economy Watch"
- ^ "Greece election: Alexis Tsipras hails 'victory of the people'". BBC News. 21 September 2015.
- ^ "Greek Finance Minister Tsakalotos takes key role in Tsipras' new cabinet | DW | 23.09.2015". Deutsche Welle
- ^ "Greek elections: Landslide victory for centre-right New Democracy party". TheGuardian.com. 7 July 2019.
- ^ "New era as Mitsotakis is sworn in as Greece's new PM"
- ^ "Greece swears in first female president"
- ^ "New Democracy party wins landslide victory in Greek elections". www.aljazeera.com