Political and Administrative Structure
Capital : Athens
Population : 10,816,286
Area : 131.957 km 2
President : Katerina Sakellaropoulou
Prime Minister : Kiryakos Mitsotakis
Official Language : Greek
Currency : Euro
Greece belongs to several major international organizations, including the UN, NATO, Council of Europe, EU, OSCE, BSEC, OECD, WTO, IMO, and ICAO. The country is governed by a Parliamentary Republic, officially called the Hellenic Republic, where the President is elected by the parliament every 5 years.
The head of government is the Prime Minister, and the decision-making body of the Greek Government is the Council of Ministers, which includes the Prime Minister, ministers, deputy prime ministers, and state ministers.
By the law, the government represents the executive power, the parliament the legislative power and the courts the judicial power. The President’s responsibilities include conducting official talks with the Prime Minister, appointing or dismissing other government members, representing the state in international relations, and calling for a referendum.
General elections are held every four years, and all citizens over 18 are eligible to vote. After the general elections or dissolution of the previous government, the newly elected government must receive a vote of confidence in parliament.
Constitution
In 1975, the 5th Regulatory Board voted for and implemented the Greek Constitution, which is the primary framework of the state. Amendments were made by the Greek Parliament in 1986, 2001, and 2008. The Constitution comprises the fundamental regulations that establish the state’s organization, the methods by which authorities exercise their power, and the legislation pertaining to human rights.
Parliament
Comprising of 300 deputies, the Greek Parliament is the supreme democratic institution that represents citizens through the election of its members. Its primary responsibility is to draft legislation and supervise the government. Parliament is elected directly by secret and simultaneous universal suffrage for a four-year term. The president of parliament is the head of this institution.
Government
An important milestone in the modern history of Greek politics occurred in July 1974, when democratic rule was reinstated following the fall of the military regime that had ruled the country since 1967. Konstantinos Karamanlis, a prominent prime minister in the late 1950s and early 1960s, formed a Government of National Unity to initiate the transition to a democratic regime. To establish a constitutional assembly, the government made three essential decisions: holding free parliamentary elections, conducting a referendum on the future of the monarchy, and legalizing the Greek Communist Party (KKE), which had been banned since its inception.
The political parties that are currently represented in the Greek Parliament and the European Parliament are:
- New Democracy (Nea Dimokratia)
- Coalition of the Radical Left (SY.RI.ZA)
- Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PA.SO.K)
- Independent Greeks (AN.EL.)
- People’s League – Golden Dawn (Hrisi Avgi)
- Democratic Left – (Dimokratiki Aristera)
- Communist Party of Greece (KKE)
Judgment
In accordance with the Greek constitution, the justice system comprises civil and criminal courts. The highest courts in Greece include the Supreme Administrative Court of Greece, the State Assembly (Simvoulio tis Epikratias), the Supreme Court (Arios Pagos), and the Court of Audit (Elegtiko Sinedrio), which oversees the spending of the state, local government units, and other legal entities.
Local Government
The Constitution binds the administration of the state to the principle of decentralization. Starting from 1986, the country has been partitioned into local government districts, which constitute non-autonomous units of the state.
Presently, the country consists of thirteen administrative regions:
- East Macedonia and Thrace
- Central Macedonia
- West Macedonia
- Epirus
- Thessaly
- Ionian Islands
- Western Greece
- Central Greece
- Attiki
- Peloponnese
- North Aegean
- Southern Aegean
- Crete
Since 2011, the “Kallikratis Program” has been implemented to restructure decentralized administrations. This program reduced the number of municipalities from 1,034 to 325 and also introduced new functions at the local level to improve them. The Kallikratis reforms have taken concrete measures to counteract the economic crisis by reinforcing transparency in administration, backing the development of new technologies, guaranteeing financial autonomy of local authorities and fortifying their decision-making and implementation roles in the local area.
Public Administration
The public sector in Greece is comprised of ministries, local government units, public entities, and independent administrative authorities. Recent years have seen efforts towards greater transparency and accountability in the Greek political-administrative system. To achieve this, Special Inspectorates such as Administrative Inspectorates and Anti-Financial Crimes Organization were established to increase public control over bureaucracy, fight corruption, increase transparency, and improve public policy competence.
In terms of civil servant selection and training, the High Board of Personnel Selection (ASEP) was created to oversee the selection process and ensure efficiency, impartiality, and transparency. The National Center for Public Administration was established in 1983 to provide training for civil servants. High-level civil servants undergo education at the National School of Public Administration before they commence their duties. The center also has the Service Training Institution which provides ongoing professional training.
State Symbols
Flag
The national flag of Greece features 4 white and 5 blue horizontal stripes, with a white cross in the upper left corner. Blue and white are the national colors of Greece, with blue symbolizing the sky and sea, and white representing the purity of the Greek fight for independence. The cross on the flag represents Christianity. The flag has a total of 9 horizontal lines, alternating between blue and white, which is in reference to the 9 syllables in the Greek national motto “Eleftheria i Thanatos,” meaning “Liberty or Death.”
National Anthem
“Ode to Freedom” is a poem written in 1823 by Dinoysios Solomos and consists of 158 stanzas. It was composed by Nikolaos Mantzaros in 1865 and is the longest national anthem in the world in terms of text length. This anthem is sung at the closing ceremony of every Olympic Games to commend that Greece is the birthplace of the Olympic Games.
I know you from the mighty edge of the sword
I know you from the look that ceaselessly measures the land
Drawn from the sacred bones of the Greek
And hardened from the begining
Hello freedom, hello!
National Emblem
The national emblem of Greece, also referred to as the coat of arms, features a blue coat of arms with a white cross, encircled by two laurel branches. The initial Greek national emblem was established by the Constitution of Epidaurus on January 1, 1822.
The colors of the national emblem of the Greek Republic are blue and white, which are the same as the national flag. Furthermore, officers of the Greek Armed Forces and the Presidential pennant wear golden laurel leaves on their caps in keeping with the design of the emblem.
