Explaining Greece

The “sirens of war” again erupted in the Middle East on the last day of February, last month, with the coordinated and large-scale US and Israeli strikes against Iran, followed by the latter’s retaliation across the wider region. The repercussions of the latest Mideast war, beyond the actual death and destruction in the immediate area, were immediately felt around the world, i.e. financial markets...

It figures as the most pressing problem facing Greek society today, literally a “double whammy” of a shrinking population intertwined with an increasingly aging one. The demographic crisis – according to others more of a looming catastrophe - threatening 21st Greece isn’t unique, however. Similar ominous population trends plague other western and advanced societies. In this edition of “Explaining...

One of the most prominent strategic realignments in the east Mediterranean over recent years has been the burgeoning cooperation between Greece and Israel, which both Jerusalem and Athens now call “strategic” in nature. In this edition of “Explaining Greece”, veteran Corinth-based journalist, correspondent and communications specialist Jean Cohen, details how once chilly official relations have ev...

The second edition in 2026 of the podcast “Explaining Greece” shies away from current affairs and the geopolitical situation affecting the east Mediterranean country and, instead, focuses on a health-related issue that’s attracted a notable amount of media attention around the world of late, namely, “testosterone therapy”. This podcast edition’s guest is Dr. Giorgos Stavroulakis, a cardiologist an...

Noted former US diplomat Brady Kiesling, an archaeologist by training and a historian with a specialty in ancient history and Mediterranean archaeology, and just as importantly, a long-time resident of Athens, is the guest today on the first 2026 edition of “Explaining Greece”. Kiesling gained international recognition back now in now far-off February 2003 when he very publicly resigned from the U...

Farmers’ and stockbreeders’ mobilizations across Greece have been dominating the political agenda and media attention in the country over the first half of December, with standing demands for lower production costs and better prices for their goods now even more animated amid a farm subsidies furor – the OPEKEPE scandal - valued at hundreds of millions of euros. A now defunct state agency, known i...

November witnessed two major energy-related agreements finalized and signed in Athens, with the first foreseeing the import of American LNG to at least a couple of terminals in Greece for subsequent regasification and transport – by pipelines – to other countries in southeast and eastern Europe, including for the all-important Ukraine market.  Just as importantly for the Greek side, two major mult...

One of post-war Greece’s best known and beloved music makers, Dionysis Savvopoulos, passed away last month (October 2025) at the age of 81, leaving behind a musical and cultural legacy that can’t easily fit into neatly defined genres or generational monikers. Savvopoulos was hugely consequential in Greece and with Greek-speaking fans yet remains more-or-less unknown beyond the “Hellenosphere”, i.e...

A political “tempest in a teapot”, a mere diversion from other, more pressing issues, a necessary move to better protect a revered site for Hellenism, or, a “discount” on freedom of assembly and free speech? An amendment tabled by the center-right government in the latter half of October transferring jurisdiction of the Tomb of the Uknown Soldier monument and the commons in front of the memorial –...

Greece will need to at least triple its power production capacity - today at roughly 50 TWh - by 2050 and produce cheaper electricity, according to Purdue professor of nuclear engineering Lefteri Tsoukalas. Noted professor Tsoukalas stresses that the future use of nuclear reactors, possibly along the design of small modular ones (SMRs), is “imperative” for the east Mediterranean country. At the sa...

For hundreds of millions of people from around the world that have visited Greece over the past decades one thing that more-or-less comes to mind when recalling their “food experiences” in the east Mediterranean country is the humble but filling souvlaki – essentially “meat on the stick” that’s often packed and folded into a type of pita bread with other ingredients, usually tomatoes, onions, the...

By all accounts, 2025 will be another banner year for Greece’s all-important tourism and holiday industry, a sector that attracts tens of millions of people from around the world every year and annually pumps more than 20 billion euros into the local economy. The substantial economic benefits that tourism generates for Greece is a result of the east Mediterranean nation’s surging global popularity...

In the latest episode of “Explaining Greece”, we speak with Effie Foka, a senior fellow at the Athens-based Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), as well as a research associate for the London School of Economics – Hellenic Observatory. Prof. Fokas also teaches politics at the American College of Greece – Deree. On the occasion of a major Aug. 15 religious holiday in Greece,...

In this week’s episode of “Explaining Greece”, we speak with Maria Gavouneli, a professor of International Law at the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, and the director general of the Athens-based Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), regarding an issue that since 2019 has soured relations between Greece and the fractured and still unstable North African country...

This episode of Explaining Greece takes listeners on a journey from high-stakes international climate negotiations to the everyday forces driving up electricity prices in Greece—offering a comprehensive look at global climate diplomacy, emissions trends, and the real-life impacts of the climate crisis, from heatwaves and floods to rising energy bills.   In conversation with Dimitris Tsekeris, Seni...

In this episode, we speak with Archimandrite Fr. Porphyrios Frangakis, the venerable Sinai Monastery’s spokesman in Greece, as well as Dr. Ronald Meinardus, a journalist, political analyst and commentator with extensive experience in both Egypt and Greece, where he’s lived and worked for many years.    The abrupt emergence of an existential threat to the continued existence of the St. Catherine Mo...

In this episode, we speak with Prof. Spyros Blavoukos, a professor of international and European economic studies at the Athens University of Economics and Business. Prof. Blavoukos is also a senior research fellow at the Athens-based Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP). One focus of the podcast is the recently adopted, by the EU Council, 150-billion-euro financial instrume...

On display at the Benaki Museum until May 25, Africa Amongst Us is a multi-medium exhibition showcasing archival objects from Nigeria, Cameroon, and Kenya, alongside stories, artifacts, and art from the African diaspora in Greece. The exhibition illuminates the histories of the diaspora, presenting a timeline that braids together traditional and everyday items to highlight how African communities...

Whatever you are shopping for, you can likely find it at Eleonas Flea Market-- bed frames, motorcycle parts, hiking boots, silver earrings, canned fish, posters from the 2004 Olympics, icons of Saint George, magazines from former Yugoslavia, film for polaroid cameras, or hand-carved backgammon sets. This flea market, hosted every weekend, offers a bewildering plethora of options, a collection ever...

Surrogacy has been legal in Greece for two decades. But surrogate pregnancies, the protections for surrogates, and the access to surrogacy have been all over Greek headlines as of late. Specifically, in April, a legal provision underlined again that gay couples and single men cannot access surrogate reproduction techniques.     To understand why, we spoke with Marianna Vassiliou, a lawyer at the S...

Will the U.S. tariffs impact the Greek olive oil business? Will market volatility drag Greece toward more financial instability? In the first 100 days of his presidency, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened, implemented, and then paused sweeping tariffs on imports into the United States. Greece was subject to the tariffs levied against the European Union. Exporters worried about the olives, feta...

Athens is in a housing crisis.   Athenians are less and less able to afford buying a house, unable to pay their ever-increasing rents, and slowly are being pushed out of the center of the city. Greek households face the highest housing cost burden in the EU. But it wasn't always this way-- In 2005 nearly 85% of Greeks owned their own home.   So how did we get here, and what is the history of housi...

To state the obvious, Greek poetry didn’t begin and end with Homer. There is a vast and rich body of modern Greek poetry, much of which has been translated into English for wider appreciation. In this episode of Explaining Greece , we explore some of that poetry—its ties to Greek folk music, and the complexities of translation. Joshua Barley, a translator of modern Greek literature and poetry, and...

In the center of Athens, tucked amidst tavernas and the metro line, lies a sprawling archaeological site—the Athenian Agora—once the center of political and economic life in the city. It was here that the ancient democracy held trials, passed legislation, and, at times, decided whom to ostracize.   Excavations at the Agora have been underway for well over 100 years, and they continue today. This m...

The Mediterranean diet is widely recognized for its numerous health benefits, including heart protection, anti-inflammatory properties, and its role in promoting longevity. Beyond its nutritional advantages, it is deeply intertwined with tradition, culture, and family life. In a recent podcast episode, Elena Paravantes, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and leading expert on the Mediterranean di...