Beyond Political Parties: The Politics of a European Identity

Abstract

The past three decades have witnessed significant political changes in Greece, ranging from the democratic consolidation to trie ecological disaster of the summer of 2007 and its electoral consequences. One may argue from taking a cursory look at societal developments that Greece has advanced as a society and, following Ronald Inglehart’s arguments, has developed “post-materialist values” (Inglehart 1977, Inglehart 2005). Several questions arise regarding this observation, not the least of which is regarding what changes have taken place in the Greek society and culture during the past twenty-five years, and how the Greeks perceive themselves in this new world both in terms of belonging to the European Union and also in terms of belonging to a more globalized world.