Greek Foreign Energy Policy

Abstract

Greece’s foreign energy policy has remained remarkably consistent over the last two decades, with governments across the ideological spectrum pursuing similar policies and articulating their aspirations in similar ways. Policymakers see energy as an engine of economic growth and a magnet for foreign investment, and they see energy as a vehicle to upgrade Greece’s geopolitical role. Successive governments have operationalized this consensus by seeking to turn Greece into a major energy producer and a corridor between east and west. The details might change over time due to political, economic or commercial realities, but the broad thrust remains the same. There is no doubt that Greece would benefit if it became a major energy producer and if there were pipelines and electricity cables crossing its territory en route from producers to consumers.