The Greek economic crisis that began in 2009 has dominated political and economic debate within Greece and elsewhere. As the prevailing political system implodes under the weight of an enormous international debt and austerity measures demanded by Greece’s lenders, there is a search for a new model of economic development for Greece and for a new vision for its future.

The “Essays” are a libertarian vision for Greece, and for Europe.

The Essays claim that social democracy and the grand vision of “United Europe” have failed in Greece. History must move on – and ultimately it will, regardless of the haphazard efforts by statist European elites and the German establishment to “save” Europe, the euro and the European welfare system. Alarmingly, the rise of extremist parties in Greece – the leftists and the nazis – coupled to the resistance of the country’s political elites to reform and the political apathy of a large percentage of citizens, are all familiar historical symptoms of social democracy decaying into totalitarianism. It would be unfitting for a proud people who shed their blood for freedom to regress into slavery. Another way, beyond social democracy and totalitarianism, must be found; it must be credible, workable, democratic and liberating.

The Essays claim that for Greeks to discover a new way for their future they must first look at the past, and address the issue of its dominant historical narrative that claims direct continuity from classical, even archaic, Hellas. Greeks must (re)discover their true historical heritage which connects them to four major historical transformations of the Greek-speaking peoples under the influence of: the ecoumenisation of classical Greece following Alexander’s conquests; Christianity in its Greek-Orthodox version; the political ideology of later Byzantium vis-à-vis the Rise of the West; and the Ottoman period. Understanding and accepting modern Greece’s true historical heritage informs of the true political values and culture of the Greeks; and must therefore inform their vision for their future.

Based on historical analysis, the Essays explore the establishment of a federal state based on minarchist, self-governing cantons, that compete with one another for better government in order to attract the best and more productive of citizens. It is claimed that such a system of governance not only befits the character and political culture of Greeks, but resolves many inherent problems of parliamentary democracy. A liberal, minarchist, cantonised Greece, where citizens can opt-out and select the canton that suits them better, would thrive in a loose free trade union of European states, a European Confederation of States.

The “Essays” are a work in continuous progress as the author continues to learn, debate, doubt, and refine his political views.

Readers may download a .pdf file with the Essays (in Greek only) from here.

The file is free to use and distribute under a Creative Commons License.

Αυτή η εργασία χορηγείται με άδεια Creative Commons Αναφορά Δημιουργού-Μη Εμπορική Χρήση-Όχι Παράγωγα Έργα 3.0 Ελλάδα .