The Politics of Greece takes place in a large parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Greece is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Hellenic Parliament. Since the restoration of democracy the party system is dominated by the liberal-conservative New Democracy (Νέα Δημοκρατία - Nea Dimokratia) and the socialist Panhellenic Socialist Movement (Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα - Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima). The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Hellenic Parliament (Greek: Βουλή των Ελλήνων; transliterated Vouli ton Ellinon; literally Council of the Greeks) is the parliament of Greece, located in Syntagma Square in Athens. ... The Presidium is the group of individuals elected by the Hellenic Parliament to deal with the business of organizing and running the Parliament. ... The Conference of Presidents is a collective institution of the Hellenic Parliament. ... The Parliament of Greece naturally assumes legislative responsibilities within the framework of the state, a key part of this parliamentary process (in any liberal democracy) is the establishment and running of Parliamentary committees on all manner of state decisions. ... This is a list of presidents of Greece. ... Karolos Papoulias Karolos Papoulias (Greek: Κάρολος Παπούλιας) is the President of the Hellenic Republic, former minister and member of the Hellenic parliament. ... The President of the Hellenic Republic has a number of minor departments underneath him in order to help the President of the Republic in the exercise of his duties. ... Note on Greek names: There is no firm convention for the rendering of Greek personal names into English. ... This article is about the Greek Prime Minister whose term began in 2004. ... The cabinet of Greece comprises the heads of the major ministries. ... In Greece, the independence of the justice is safeguarded by the Constitution. ... In Greece, the Supreme Special Court (Greek: Ανώτατο Ειδικό Δικαστήριο) is provided for in the article 100 of the Constitution. ... The Court of Cassation is the Supreme Court of Greece. ... In Greece, the Counil of State (sometimes Counsel of State or State Council, Greek: Συμβούλιο της Επικρατείας) is, at the same time, an administrative organ (one of the three Big Bodies of the greek Public Administration) and the Supreme Administrative Court. ... In Greece, the Chamber of Accounts (or Court of Accounts or Court of Auditors or Audit Court, French: Cour des Comptes , Greek: Ελεγκτικό Συνέδριο) is, at the same time, an administrative organ (one of the three Big Bodies of the greek Public Administration) and a Supreme Administrative Court with a special jursdiction... The peripheries (περιφέρειες) are the subnational divisions of Greece. ... The super-prefectures of Greece are a second-degree organization of local self-government and an administrative division between the peripheries and the prefectures. ... Greece consists of 13 administrative regions known as Peripheries of Greece, which are further subdivided into 51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos, Greek: νομοί, νομός)): See also List of the prefectures of Greece by area List of the prefectures of Greece by population density List of the prefectures of Greece by population External... Communities and municipalities of Greece are one of several levels of government within the organizational structure of that country. ... Elections in Greece gives information on election and election results in Greece. ... The 2006 Greek local elections will elect representatives to Greeces 3 super-prefectures, 54 prefectures, provinces, and approximately 1,033 communities and municipalities. ... Parliamentary elections were held in Greece on Sunday, September 16, 2007, to elect the 300 members of the Greek Parliament. ... The 12th legislative election since the restoration of democracy will be the next parliamentary election in Greece. ... Under the current electoral system, a party needs to surpass a 3% threshold in the popular vote in order to enter parliament. ... This is a list of electoral constituencies returning Members of Parliament to the Parliament of Greece. ... The European Union or EU is a supranational and international organization of 27 member states. ... Greece was elected by the United Nations General Assembly to the United Nations Security Council, on 15 October 2004 , as a non-permanent member for 2005 and 2006. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... States currently utilizing parliamentary systems are denoted in red and orange—the former being constitutional monarchies where authority is vested in a parliament, and the latter being parliamentary republics whose parliaments are effectively supreme over a separate head of state. ... Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of popular sovereignty by the peoples representatives. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Note on Greek names: There is no firm convention for the rendering of Greek personal names into English. ... The head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law. ... A legislature is a governmental deliberative body with the power to adopt laws. ... The Hellenic Parliament (Greek: Βουλή των Ελλήνων; transliterated Vouli ton Ellinon; literally Council of the Greeks) is the parliament of Greece, located in Syntagma Square in Athens. ... Party logo New Democracy (ND, Greek: Νέα Δημοκρατία, Nea Dhimokratia), founded in 1974, is the main center-right liberal-conservative political party in Greece. ... The Panhellenic Socialist Movement, better known as PASOK (Greek: Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα, Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima, ΠΑΣΟΚ), is a Greek social democratic political party. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      In the law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ...

The 1975 constitution, which describes Greece as a "presidential parliamentary republic," includes extensive specific guarantees of civil liberties and vests the powers of the head of state in a president elected by parliament. The Greek governmental structure is similar to that found in many Western democracies, and has been described as a compromise between the French and German models. The prime minister and cabinet play the central role in the political process, while the president performs some executive and legislative functions in addition to ceremonial duties. President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ... The House of Representatives Chamber of the Parliament of Australia in Canberra. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Civil liberties is the name given to freedoms that protect the individual from government. ... For the comedy film of the same name, see Head of State (film). ... This article is about the governmental body. ...

Executive branch

The Cabinet of Greece includes the heads of all executive ministries, appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister. The President of the Republic is elected by the Parliament for a five-year term (election last held March 7, 2005), and a maximum of two terms in office. When a presidential term expires, Parliament votes to elect the new President. In the first two votes, a ⅔ majority (200 votes) is necessary. The third and final vote requires a 3/5 (180 votes) majority. If the third vote is fruitless, Parliament is dissolved and elections are proclaimed by the outgoing President within the next 30 days. In the new Parliament, the election for President is repeated immediately with a 3/5 majority required for the initial vote, an absolute majority for the second one (151 votes) and a simple majority for the third and final one. The system is so designed as to promote consensus Presidential candidates among the main political parties. The president has the power to declare war, to grant pardon and to conclude agreements of peace, alliance, and participation in international organizations; upon the request of the government a simple parliamentary majority is required to ratify such actions, agreements, or treaties. An absolute or a three-fifths majority is required in exceptional cases (for example, the accession into the EU needed a 3/5 majority). The president can also exercise certain emergency powers, which must be countersigned by the appropriate cabinet minister. Changes to the constitution in 1986 limited the president's political powers. As a result, the president may not dissolve parliament, dismiss the government, suspend certain articles of the constitution, issue a proclamation or declare a state of siege without countersigning by the prime minister or the appropriate cabinet minister. To call a referendum, he must obtain approval from parliament. The flag of the President of Greece This is a list of presidents of Greece. ... Karolos Papoulias Karolos Papoulias (Greek: Κάρολος Παπούλιας) is the President of the Hellenic Republic, former minister and member of the Hellenic parliament. ... The Panhellenic Socialist Movement, better known as PASOK (Greek: Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα, Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima, ΠΑΣΟΚ), is a Greek social democratic political party. ... is the 71st day of the year (72nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Prime Minister of Greece (Πρωθυπουργός in Greek) is the head of government of the Hellenic Republic and the leader of the Greek cabinet. ... This article is about the Greek Prime Minister whose term began in 2004. ... Party logo New Democracy (ND, Greek: Νέα Δημοκρατία, Nea Dhimokratia), founded in 1974, is the main center-right liberal-conservative political party in Greece. ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The cabinet of Greece comprises the heads of the major ministries. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The prime minister is elected by the people[1] and he or she is usually the leader of the party controlling the absolute majority of Parliament members. According to the Constitution, the prime minister safeguards the unity of the government and directs its activities. He or she is the most powerful person of the Greek political system and he or she recommendates to the President the appointment or the dismissal of the ministers..

Greek parliamentary politics hinge upon the principle of the "dedilomeni", the "declared confidence" of Parliament to the Prime Minister and his/her administration. This means that the President of the Republic is bound to appoint as Prime Minister a person who will be approved by a majority of the Parliament's members (i.e. 151 votes). With the current electoral system, it is the leader of the party gaining a plurality of the votes in the Parliamentary elections who gets appointed Prime Minister. An administration may, at any time, seek a "vote of confidence"; conversely, a number of Members of Parliament may ask that a "vote of reproach" be taken. Both are rare occurrences with usually predictable outcomes as voting outside the party line happens very seldom.

On March 7, 2004, Kostas Karamanlis, president of the New Democracy party and nephew of the late Constantine Karamanlis, was elected as the new Prime Minister of Greece, thus marking his party's first electoral victory in nearly 11 years. Karamanlis took over Government from Kostas Simitis, who had been in office since January 1996. is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the Greek Prime Minister whose term began in 2004. ... Party logo New Democracy (ND, Greek: Νέα Δημοκρατία, Nea Dhimokratia), founded in 1974, is the main center-right liberal-conservative political party in Greece. ... This article is about the former Greek president who lived from 1907 to 1998. ... Note on Greek names: There is no firm convention for the rendering of Greek personal names into English. ... Costas Simitis Constantinos Georgiou Simitis (born June 23, 1936), usually known as Costas Simitis, was Prime Minister of Greece and leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) from 1996 to 2004. ...

Legislative branch

Greece elects a legislature by universal suffrage of all citizens over the age of 18. The Greek Parliament (Vouli ton Ellinon) has 300 members, elected for a four-year term by a system of reinforced proportional representation in 48 multi-seat constituencies, 8 single-seat constituencies and a single nationwide list. 288 of the 300 seats are determined by constituecy voting, and voters may select the candidate or candidates of their choice by marking their name on the party ballot. The remaining 12 seats are filled from nationwide party lists on a top-down basis and based on the proportion of the total vote each party received. Greece uses a complex reinforced proportional representation electoral system which discourages splinter parties and makes a parliamentary majority possible even if the leading party falls short of a majority of the popular vote. Under the current electoral law, any single party must receive at least a 3% nationwide vote tally in order to elect Members of Parliament (the so-called "3% threshold"). The law in its current form favors the first past the post party to achieve an absolute (151 parliamentary seats) majority, provided it receives a 41%+ nationwide vote. This is touted to enhance governmental stability. The electoral law can be changed by simple parliamentary majority, but a law so changed only becomes enforced in the election following the upcoming one, unless it is voted by the Greek Parliament with a majority of ⅔ of the total number of the deputies. A legislatureis a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to ratify laws. ... The Hellenic Parliament (Greek: Βουλή των Ελλήνων; transliterated Vouli ton Ellinon; literally Council of the Greeks) is the parliament of Greece, located in Syntagma Square in Athens. ... Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation, or PR), is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes that groups of candidates (grouped by a certain measure) obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive (usually in legislative assemblies). ... A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures, goals or loyalty. ... A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures, goals or loyalty. ... The plurality voting system, also known as first past the post, is a voting system used to elect a single winner in a given election. ... The Hellenic Parliament (Greek: Βουλή των Ελλήνων; transliterated Vouli ton Ellinon; literally Council of the Greeks) is the parliament of Greece, located in Syntagma Square in Athens. ...

Political parties and leaders

Main article: Greek legislative election, 2007

A political party is a political organization subscribing to a certain ideology or formed around very special issues. ... Under the current electoral system, a party needs to surpass a 3% threshold in the popular vote in order to enter parliament. ... An election is a decision making process whereby people vote for preferred political candidates or parties to act as representatives in government. ... Elections in Greece gives information on election and election results in Greece. ... Parliamentary elections were held in Greece on Sunday, September 16, 2007, to elect the 300 members of the Greek Parliament. ... is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The Hellenic Parliament (Greek: Βουλή των Ελλήνων; transliterated Vouli ton Ellinon; literally Council of the Greeks) is the parliament of Greece, located in Syntagma Square in Athens. ... Party logo New Democracy (ND, Greek: Νέα Δημοκρατία, Nea Dhimokratia), founded in 1974, is the main center-right liberal-conservative political party in Greece. ... This article is about the Greek Prime Minister whose term began in 2004. ... The Panhellenic Socialist Movement, better known as PASOK (Greek: Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα, Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima, ΠΑΣΟΚ), is a Greek social democratic political party. ... For George Papandreous grandfather, also called George Papandreou, see George Papandreou, senior. ... The Communist Party of Greece (Greek: Κομμουνιστικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας, Kommounistikó Kómma Elládas), better known by its acronym, ΚΚΕ (usually pronounced koo-koo-eh or kappa-kappa-epsilon), is the communist party of Greece and the oldest party in the Greek political scene. ... Aleka Papariga (Greek: Αλέκα Παπαρήγα) (born November 5, 1945) is a communist Greek politician who has served the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) as its general secretary since 1991. ... SYRIZA symbol Coalition of the Radical Left (in Greek: Synaspismos tis Rizospastikis Aristeras or SYRIZA) is a coalition of left political parties in Greece. ... Alekos Alavanos Alekos (Alexandros) Alavanos (Greek: Αλέκος Αλαβάνος) is a Greek politician, member of the Hellenic Parliament, former member of the European Parliament and president of the Synaspismos party of the radical left since 2004. ... The Popular Orthodox Rally (Greek: Λαϊκός Ορθόδοξος Συναγερμός, Laïkós Orthódoxos Synagermós), often abbreviated to ΛΑ.Ο.Σ. (LA.O.S.) as a pun on the Greek word for people, is a Greek nationalist/radical right-wing populist political party, founded and led by controversial journalist Georgios Karatzaferis. ... Georgios Karatzaferis (born August 11, 1947) is a Greek politician and leader of the patriotic LA.O.S. party (Popular Orthodox Rally). ... The Ecologist Greens (OIKOLOGOI PRASINOI) are a Greek political party. ... This page includes English translations of several Latin phrases and abbreviations such as . ... The Democratic Revival (Greek: Δημοκρατική Αναγέννηση Dimokratiki Anagenissi) is a populist political party in Greece, initially founded in 2004 by Stelios Papathemelis. ... Stelios Papathemelis is a Greek politician and lawyer. ... The Union of Centrists (Greek: Ενωση Κεντρώων Enosi Kentroon) is a political party in Greece without parliamentary representation. ... Vassilis Leventis at his show on Extra Channel Vassilis Leventis (Greek: Βασίλης or Βασίλειος Λεβέντης; born 1951, Messinia, Greece) is a Greek politician, leader of the Greek centrist party, Union of Centrists (Greek: Ένωση Κεντρώων). Vassilis Leventis is the fourth child of Apostolos and Gregoria Leventis. ... Communist Party of Greece (marxist-leninist) (in Greek: Kommounistiko Komma Elladas (marxistiko-leninistiko)), a communist political party in Greece. ... ME.R.A. symbol The Radical Left Front (Greek: , Metopo Rizospastikis Aristeras, MERA) is a coalition of radical left political parties in Greece. ... The United Anti-Capitalist Left (Greek: , ENANTIA) is a coalition of radical left political parties in Greece. ... The Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Greece, better known by its acronym M-L KKE (Greek: Îœ - Λ Κομμουνιστικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας, Marxistiko - Leninistiko Kommunistiko Komma Elladas), is a communist maoist party in Greece. ... The Liberal Alliance (Greek: Φιλελεύθερη Συμμαχία Fileleftheri Simmakhia ) is a libertarian political party in Greece founded February of 2007. ... Fotis Perlikos (born 1978) is the president of Liberal Alliance, a small political party in Greece formed in 2007. ... Komma Fileleftheron (Greek: Κόμμα Φιλελευθέρων - literally Party of the Friends of Liberty; usually translated as Liberal Party) was one of the major Greek political parties of the early 20th Century. ... The Organization for the Reconstruction of the Communist Party of Greece (Greek: Οργάνωση για την Ανασυγκρότηση του Κομουνι&#963... Party logo The Fighting Socialist Party of Greece (Greek: Αγωνιστικό Σοσιαλιστικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας ) (ASKE), is a leftwing Greek political party founded in February 1984. ... The Greek Ecologists (Greek: ) (previously Union of Ecologists Greek: ) is a Greek political party. ... The Greek Ecologists (Greek: ) (previously Union of Ecologists Greek: ) is a Greek political party. ... The United Anti-Capitalist Left (Greek: , ENANTIA) is a coalition of radical left political parties in Greece. ... Party logo The Socialist Workers Party of Greece (SEK) is an affiliate of the International Socialist Tendency (IST). ... Party logo The Fighting Socialist Party of Greece (Greek: Αγωνιστικό Σοσιαλιστικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας ) (ASKE), is a leftwing Greek political party founded in February 1984. ...

Judicial branch

Main article: Judicial system of Greece In Greece, the independence of the justice is safeguarded by the Constitution. ...

In Greece the judicial branch is divided into civil and administrative courts. Civil courts judge civil and penal cases, whereas administrative courts judge administrative cases, namely disputes between the citizens and the State.

The judicial system of Greece comprises three Supreme Courts: the Court of Cassation (Άρειος Πάγος), the Council of State (Συμβούλιο της Επικρατείας) and the Chamber of Accounts (Ελεγκτικό Συνέδριο). These high courts are composed of professional judges, graduates of the National School of Judges. The way the judges are gradually promoted, until they become members of the Supreme Courts, is defined by the Constitution and the existing laws. The presidents and the vice-presidents of the three Supreme Courts are chosen by the Cabinet of Greece among the serving members of each of the Supreme Courts. The Court of Cassation is the Supreme Court of Greece. ... In Greece, the Counil of State (sometimes Counsel of State or State Council, Greek: Συμβούλιο της Επικρατείας) is, at the same time, an administrative organ (one of the three Big Bodies of the greek Public Administration) and the Supreme Administrative Court. ... In Greece, the Chamber of Accounts (or Court of Accounts or Court of Auditors or Audit Court, French: Cour des Comptes , Greek: Ελεγκτικό Συνέδριο) is, at the same time, an administrative organ (one of the three Big Bodies of the greek Public Administration) and a Supreme Administrative Court with a special jursdiction... The cabinet of Greece comprises the heads of the major ministries. ...

The Court of Cassation is the supreme civil and penal court, whereas the Council of State is the supreme administrative court. The Chamber of Accounts has an exclusive jurisdiction over certain administrative areas (for example it judges disputes arising from the legislation regulating the pensions of civil servants) and its decisions are irrevocable. This means that they are not judged at second instance by the Council of State.
Sometimes, the Supreme Courts take contradictory decisions or they judge differently the constitutionality of a legal provision. These disputes are resolved by the Supreme Special Court, whose the composition and jurisdiction is regulated by the Constitution (article 100). As its name reveals, this court is not permanent and it sits, when a special case belonging to its jurisdiction arises. When the Supreme Special Court sits, it comprises eleven members: the Presidents of the three Supreme Courts, four members of the Court of Cassation and four members of the Council of State. When it judges the constitutionality of a law or resolves the disputes between Supreme Courts, its composition comprises two more members: two professors of the Law Schools of Greece. The Supreme Special Court is the only court which can declare an unconstitutional legal provision as "powerless" (something like "null and void"), while the three Supreme Courts can only declare an unconstitutional legal provision as "inapplicable". The Supreme Special Court is also the Supreme Electoral Court, judging pleas against the legality of the legislative elections. The Court of Cassation is the Supreme Court of Greece. ... In Greece, the Counil of State (sometimes Counsel of State or State Council, Greek: Συμβούλιο της Επικρατείας) is, at the same time, an administrative organ (one of the three Big Bodies of the greek Public Administration) and the Supreme Administrative Court. ... In Greece, the Chamber of Accounts (or Court of Accounts or Court of Auditors or Audit Court, French: Cour des Comptes , Greek: Ελεγκτικό Συνέδριο) is, at the same time, an administrative organ (one of the three Big Bodies of the greek Public Administration) and a Supreme Administrative Court with a special jursdiction... In Greece, the Counil of State (sometimes Counsel of State or State Council, Greek: Συμβούλιο της Επικρατείας) is, at the same time, an administrative organ (one of the three Big Bodies of the greek Public Administration) and the Supreme Administrative Court. ... In Greece, the Supreme Special Court (Greek: Ανώτατο Ειδικό Δικαστήριο) is provided for in the article 100 of the Constitution. ... In Greece, the Supreme Special Court (Greek: Ανώτατο Ειδικό Δικαστήριο) is provided for in the article 100 of the Constitution. ... The Court of Cassation is the Supreme Court of Greece. ... In Greece, the Counil of State (sometimes Counsel of State or State Council, Greek: Συμβούλιο της Επικρατείας) is, at the same time, an administrative organ (one of the three Big Bodies of the greek Public Administration) and the Supreme Administrative Court. ... In Greece, the Supreme Special Court (Greek: Ανώτατο Ειδικό Δικαστήριο) is provided for in the article 100 of the Constitution. ... In Greece, the Supreme Special Court (Greek: Ανώτατο Ειδικό Δικαστήριο) is provided for in the article 100 of the Constitution. ...

Administrative divisions

Greece is divided in 13 peripheries, further divided into 51 prefectures, the "Nomoi". The prefectures are each headed by a prefect (the "Nomarch"), who is elected by direct popular vote. The thirteen regional administrative districts (peripheries), each including a number of prefectures are headed by a regional governor (the "Peripheriarch"), appointed by the Minister of the Interior. In northern Greece and in greater Athens, three areas have an additional administrative position between the nomarch and peripheriarch. This official, known as the Chair of the prefectural local authorities or "superprefect" (the "Hypernomarch"), is elected by direct popular vote together with the nomarchs she or he supervises. Although municipalities and villages have elected officials, they do not have an adequate independent revenue base and must depend on the central government budget for a large part of their financial needs. Consequently they are subject to numerous central government controls. This also leads to extremely low municipal taxes (usually around 0.2% or less). The peripheries (περιφέρειες) are the subnational divisions of Greece. ... Greece consists of 13 administrative regions known as Peripheries of Greece, which are further subdivided into 51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos, Greek: νομοί, νομός)): See also List of the prefectures of Greece by area List of the prefectures of Greece by population density List of the prefectures of Greece by population External... The peripheries (περιφέρειες) are the subnational divisions of Greece. ... This article is about the capital of Greece. ...

Greece also includes one autonomous region, the Monastic Community of the Holy Mountain, Mount Athos. Monastery of St. ... Capital Karyes Official languages Koine Greek, Church Slavonic, Modern Greek, Russian, Serbian, Georgian, Bulgarian, Romanian (both liturgical and civil use), Modern Greek (civil use) Government  -  Head of State2 Dora Bakoyannis  -  Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I Area  -  Total 390 km²  150 sq mi  Population  -   estimate 2,250  Demonyms: Athonite, Hagiorite (English); Αθωνίτης, Αγιορίτης (Greek). ...

International organization participation

Greece is member of the Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, Zangger Committee Anthem Ode to Joy (orchestral)  ten founding members joined subsequently observer at the Parliamentary Assembly observer at the Committee of Ministers  official candidate Seat Strasbourg, France Membership 47 European states 5 observers (Council) 3 observers (Assembly) Leaders  -  Secretary General Terry Davis  -  President of the Parliamentary Assembly Rene van der Linden... The official logo of the ICC The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt)[1] was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression, although it cannot currently exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression. ... The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is an international organization that works to promote and support global trade and globalization. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the military alliance. ... The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization of those developed countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ... Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) In the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI), Romania has had an opportunity to demonstrate its leadership in the region. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization that helps Members (currently Customs administrations from 169 countries) communicate and co-operate on customs issues. ... Not to be confused with the European Union, the Western European Union (WEU) is said by some to be a partially dormant European defence and security organization composed of those states members of both NATO and the EU. Interestingly, however, New York Universitys published work (Holyworth and Jolyon) Defending... WHO redirects here. ... The Zangger Committee, also known as the Nuclear Exporters Committee, sprang from Article III.2 of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) which entered into force on March 5, 1970. ...

Politicians of Greece

• Alekos Alavanos
• Dimitris Avramopoulos
• Dora Bakoyannis
• Maria Damanaki
• Manolis Glezos
• Konstantinos Karamanlis
• Konstantinos Mitsotakis
• Costas Karamanlis
• Georgios Karatzaferis
• Nikos Konstantopoulos
• Vassilis Leventis
• Andreas Papandreou
• George Papandreou, junior
• George Papandreou, senior
• Aleka Papariga
• Karolos Papoulias
• Antonis Samaras
• Costas Simitis
• Costis Stephanopoulos
• Dimitris Tsovolas
• Hatzigakis Sotirios

Alekos Alavanos Alekos (Alexandros) Alavanos (Greek: Αλέκος Αλαβάνος) is a Greek politician, member of the Hellenic Parliament, former member of the European Parliament and president of the Synaspismos party of the radical left since 2004. ... Dimitris Avramopoulos Dimitris Avramopoulos (Greek: Δημήτρης Αβραμόπουλος) is a Greek diplomat and politician, former mayor of Athens, member of the Hellenic Parliament and Greek Minister of Tourism. ... Dora Bakoyianni Dora Bakoyianni (born 1954), is the mayor of Athens, capital of Greece. ... Maria Damanaki Maria Damanaki (Greek: Μαρία Δαμανάκη) is a Greek politician, former president of the Synaspismos party of the radical left and currently a state member of the Hellenic Parliament within the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK). ... Manolis Glezos Manolis Glezos (Greek: Μανώλης Γλέζος) is a Greek left wing politician and writer, world-wide known especially for his participation in the World War II resistance. ... Constantine Karamanlis Constantine (Konstantinos) Karamanlis (Κωνσταντίνος Καραμανλής) (March 8, 1907 - April 23, 1998) is a towering figure of modern Greek politics and history. ... Constantine Mitsotakis Constantine Mitsotakis (in Greek Konstantinos Mitsotakis) (born October 18, 1918), Greek politician, was born in Chania, Crete. ... Costas Caramanlis Costas Caramanlis (in Greek Kostas or Konstantinos Karamanlis, Κωστας or Κωνσταντινος Καραμανλης) (born September 14, 1956) became Prime Minister of Greece on March... Georgios Karatzaferis (born August 11, 1947) is a Greek politician and leader of the patriotic LA.O.S. party (Popular Orthodox Rally). ... Nikos Konstantopoulos Nikos Konstantopoulos (Greek: Νίκος Κωνσταντόπουλος) is a Greek politician, member of the Hellenic Parliament and former president of the Synaspismos party of the radical left. ... Vassilis Leventis at his show on Extra Channel Vassilis Leventis (Greek: Βασίλης or Βασίλειος Λεβέντης; born 1951, Messinia, Greece) is a Greek politician, leader of the Greek centrist party, Union of Centrists (Greek: Ένωση Κεντρώων). Vassilis Leventis is the fourth child of Apostolos and Gregoria Leventis. ... Andreas Georgiou Papandreou (Greek: ) (5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a towering figure in Greek politics. ... For George Papandreous grandfather, also called George Papandreou, see George Papandreou, senior. ... George Papandandreou George Papandreou (in Greek Georgios Papandreou or Γεώργιος Παπανδρέου) (18 February 1888 - 1 November 1968) was a Greek politician. ... Aleka Papariga (Greek: Αλέκα Παπαρήγα) (born November 5, 1945) is a communist Greek politician who has served the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) as its general secretary since 1991. ... Karolos Papoulias Karolos Papoulias (Greek: Κάρολος Παπούλιας) is the President of the Hellenic Republic, former minister and member of the Hellenic parliament. ... Antonis Samaras, also spelt, Adonis Samaras (born 1951) is a Greek politician and Member of the European Parliament for New Democracy; part of the European Peoples Party. ... Constantinos Simitis (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Σημίτης) (born June 23, 1936), usually referred to as Costas Simitis, was Prime Minister of Greece and leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) from 1996 to 2004. ... Kostantinos Stefanopoulos Konstantinos Stephanopoulos was born in Patras on 15 August 1926. ... Dimitris Tsovolas is a politican in Greece. ... Sotirios Hatzigakis (born September 15, 1944[1]) is a Greek politician, currently serving as Minister for Justice. ...

Political issues

Education

Under the Greek constitution,^[1] education is the responsibility of the state. Most Greeks attend public primary and secondary schools. There are a few private schools, which must meet the standard curriculum of and are supervised by the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education oversees and directs every aspect of the public education process at all levels, including hiring all teachers and professors and producing all required textbooks. NAJ TOTALLY ROCX!!

A recent issue concerning education in Greece is the institutionalisation of private universities. According to the constitution^[2] only state-run universities operate on the land. However in the recent years many foreign private universities have established branches in Greece, offering Bachelor's level degrees, therefore creating a legal contradiction between the Greek constitution and the EU laws allowing foreign companies to operate anywhere in the Union. Additionally, every year, tens of thousands of Greek students were not accepted to the state-run University system, become "educational immigrants" to other countries' Higher Education institutions, where they move to study. This has created a chronic problem for Greece, in terms of loss of capital as well as human resources, since many of those students opt to seek employment in the countries they studied, after completing their studies. It is characteristic that in 2006, Greece, with 11.5 million inhabitants, was fourth in the world in terms of student export in absolute numbers, with 60,000 students abroad, while the first country in this regard, People's Republic of China of over 1,3 billion inhabitants, had 100,000 students abroad. In terms of students abroad as a percent of the general population, Greece is by far the leading country, with 5,250 students per million, compared to second Malaysia's 1,780 students per million inhabitants. A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ... A bachelors degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts three or four years. ...

Citing these problems as a result of the state's monopoly on Higher Education, New Democracy committed to amending the constitution, in order to allow private universities to operate in Greece on a non-profit basis. This proposal was rejected by then-ruling PASOK in the late nineties, and thus could not muster the support necessary to be put to vote on the constitutional amendment of 2001. However, PASOK has since changed its stance, and now also supports a constitutional provision for the creation of private Universities on a non-profit basis. This proposal continues to encounter the fierce opposition of the Left parties and part of the academic community, both professors and students. Party logo New Democracy (ND, Greek: Νέα Δημοκρατία, Nea Dhimokratia), founded in 1974, is the main center-right liberal-conservative political party in Greece. ... The Panhellenic Socialist Movement, better known as PASOK (Greek: Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα, Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima, ΠΑΣΟΚ), is a Greek social democratic political party. ...

At the outset of 2006, prime minister Kostas Karamanlis announced the initiative of his government for a new amendement of the Constitution. According to his assertion one of the main issues of this amendment (the second within less than 10 years) is going to be the creation of "non-state owned" universities. A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... This article is about the Greek Prime Minister whose term began in 2004. ...

Religion

The Greek Orthodox Church is under the protection of the State, which pays the clergy's salaries, and Orthodox Christianity is the "prevailing" religion of Greece according to the Constitution. The Greek Orthodox Church is self-governing but under the spiritual guidance of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople. About 98% of Greek citizens are nominal followers of the Orthodox Church. Freedom of religious beliefs is guaranteed by the Constitution, but "proselytism" is officially illegal. According to the most recent Eurostat "Eurobarometer" poll, in 2005,^[3] 81% of Greek citizens responded that "they believe there is a God", whereas 16% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and only 3% that "they do not believe there is a God, spirit, nor life force". This would make Greece one of the most religious countries in the European Union of 25 members, after Malta and Cyprus. The Church of Greece (Greek: EkklÄ“sía tês Helládos, IPA: /eklisia tis elaðos/) is one of the fifteen autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches which make up the Eastern Orthodox Communion. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope · Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Faith... This article is about the city before the Fall of Constantinople (1453). ... Proselytism is the practice of attempting to convert people to another opinion, usually another religion. ...

The Muslim minority, concentrated in Thrace, was given legal status by provisions of the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 and is Greece's only officially recognized religious minority. There are small Roman Catholic communities on some of the Cyclades, remnants of the long Venetian rule over the islands. The recent influx of (mostly illegal) immigrants from Eastern Europe and the Third World has an expectedly varied multi-religious profile (Roman Catholic, Muslim, Hindu etc). There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak  Thrace (Bulgarian: , Greek: , Attic Greek: ThrāíkÄ“ or ThrēíkÄ“, Latin: , Turkish: ) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. ... Borders as shaped by the treaty The Treaty of Lausanne (July 24, 1923) was a peace treaty that settle a part of the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire that reflected the consequences of the Turkish Independence War between Allies of World War I and Turkish national movement, (Grand National Assembly... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Cyclades (Greek Κυκλάδες) are a Greek island group in the Aegean Sea, south-east of the mainland of Greece; and an administrative prefecture of Greece. ... Borders of the Republic of Venice in 1796 Capital Venice Language(s) Venetian, Latin, Italian Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic Doge  - 1789–97 Ludovico Manin History  - Established 697  - Treaty of Zara June 27, 1358  - Treaty of Leoben April 17, 1797 * Traditionally, the establishment of the Republic is dated to 697. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Bhavna says there are 300 million gods in Hinduism. ...

During the 2001 constitutional amendment, complete separation of church and state was proposed, but the two major parties, ND and PASOK, decided not to open this controversial matter, which clashes with both the population and the clergy. For example, numerous protests occurred over the removal of the Religious Denomination entry from the National ID card in 2000. Outside the Orthodox majority, the Jewish telegraphic Agency claims that Greece had and still has a serious problem of religious freedom.^[4][5] ND, Nd or nD can mean: Air Niger IATA code Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (academic degree) NADH dehydrogenase Napalm Death, a pioneering grindcore band from England Napoleon Dynamite Nate Drive National Diploma, an academic qualification in the Republic of Ireland Nd (digraph) Negligent discharge of a firearm. ... Party logo The Panhellenic Socialist Movement, better known as PASOK (Greek: Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα, Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima, ΠΑΣΟΚ), is a Greek social democratic political party. ...

Media

In comparative NGO studies , Greece ranks among the highest in press freedom worldwide. Reporters Without Borders, or RWB (French: Reporters sans frontières, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras, or RSF) is a French origin international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press, founded by its current general-secretary, Robert Menard. ...

The Greek media, collectively, is a very influential institution — usually aggressive, sensationalist. As with many countries, most of the media are owned by businessmen with commercial interests in other sectors of the economy. There are often accusations of newspapers, magazines, and radio and TV channels being used to promote their commercial enterprises as well as to seek political influence.

In 1994, the Ministry of Press and Media was established to deal with media and communication issues. ERT S.A., a public corporation supervised by the Minister of Press, operates three national television channels and five national radio channels. The Minister of Press also serves as the primary government spokesperson. The Minister for the Press and the Media of Greece was the government minister responsible for the running of the Ministry of the Press and the Media. ... Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi (Ελληνική Ραδιοφωνία Τηλεόραση — Hellenic Broadcasting [and] Television) is Greeces state-owned public television broadcasting corporation. ...

The Secretary General of Press and Information prepares the semi-official Athens News Agency (ANA) Bulletin. Along with AP and Reuters, this is a primary source of information for the Greek press. The Ministry of Press and Information also issues the semi-official Macedonian News Agency (MPE) Bulletin, which is distributed throughout the Balkan region. For international news, CNN is a particular influence in the Greek market; the major TV channels often use it as a source. State and private TV stations also use Eurovision and Visnews as sources. While few papers and stations have overseas correspondents, those few correspondents abroad can be very influential. The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... Reuters Group plc (LSE: RTR and NASDAQ: RTRSY); pronounced is known as a financial market data provider and a news service that provides reports from around the world to newspapers and broadcasters. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... EBU redirects here. ...

In 1988, a new law provided the legal framework for the establishment of private radio stations and, in 1989, private TV stations. According to the law, supervision of radio and television is exercised by the National Radio and Television Council. In practice, however, official licensing has been delayed for many years. Because of this, there has been a proliferation of private radio and TV stations, as well as European satellite channels, including Euronews. More than 1,000 radio stations were operating before March 2002, when the government implemented plans to reallocate TV frequencies and issue licenses as authorized by the 1993 Media Law, effectively reducing this number. EuroNews is a multilingual and pan-European television news channel launched on January 1, 1993. ...

Military Service

Main article: Conscription in Greece

12 months for all males of 18 years of age; Compulsory with fines and imprisonment if denied, but neither fine nor imprisonment has been imposed since 1994, where the last warrant against a draft-dodger was issued. Members of families with 3 children serve a reduced time of 9 months. Military service can also be substituted with a longer public service, which by the standards of Amnesty International, ought to be considered punitive as it is twice as long as the regular tour of duty. Limited steps have been taken to turn the Greek military into a semi-professional army in the last years, leading to the gradual reduction of the service from 18 to 12 months and the inclusion of a greater number of professional military personnel in most vertices of the force. Recent developments, though, within the anti-conscription movement in Greece, such as the high^{[citation needed]} death rate from suicides during service and work-related accidents, such as the Manitsa incident, combined with a high rate of draft-dodging, have advanced the idea that mandatory coscription should be abolished and an all-professional/all-volunteer army should be put in place.^{[citation needed]} As of 2006, Greece (Hellenic Republic) has mandatory military service of 12 months for men between the ages of 19 and 45. ...

Military Spending

Greece directs approximately 4.3% of its GDP to military expenditures, the 4th highest percentage in Europe (behind Russia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).^[6] In absolute numbers the Greek military budget ranked 28th in the world in 2005. By the same measure, Greek military budget ranked 6th in the Mediterranean basin (behind France, Italy, Turkey, Israel and Spain) and 2nd (behind Turkey) in its immediate vicinity, the Balkans.^[7] It must be noted that Greek arms purchasing is among the highest in the world: Greece ranked 3rd in the world in 2004.^[8] The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Balkan redirects here. ...

These figures are explained^[9] in the light of the arms race between Greece and Turkey with key issues being the Cyprus dispute and disagreement over sovereignty of certain islets of the Aegean. For more information see Greco-Turkish relations. Reversly, the foreign relations of Greece as well as many internal policy decisions are largely affected by its arms purchases. The United States, being the major arms seller to Greece has been known to actively intervene in military spending decisions made by the Greek government.^[10] The US has at times actively stepped in to help avoid large scale crisis, as in the case of the Imia-Kardak crisis. The term arms race in its original usage describes a competition between two or more parties for military supremacy. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “Sovereign” redirects here. ... Look up Aegean Sea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Relations between Greece and Turkey have been marked by alternating periods of mutual hostility and reconciliation ever since Greece won its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832. ... The Imia-Kardak crisis was a conflict that arose between Turkey and Greece in the Aegean Sea in 1996. ...

The reduction of military spending has long been an issue in Greek politics. The incumbent prime minister, Kostas Karamanlis has proposed a reduction to military spending through a "Defence Eurozone",^[11] referring to the European Security and Defence Policy. The previous PASOK administration, also planned on reducing military spending^[12] prior to its failure to be re-elected in 2004, while PASOK politicians usually refer to money saved from reducing military spending as a "peace dividend" ("μέρισμα ειρήνης").^[13] The parties of the Left, KKE and Synaspismos, have been vocal in condemning military spending. Regarding the purchase of 30 F-16 and 333 Leopard tanks in 2005, both parties criticized the New Democracy administration for spending money on weapons while doing nothing to relieve the lower classes and said that high military spending "does not correspond to the real needs of the country but is carried out according to NATO planning and to serve weapon manufacturers and the countries that host them".^[14] Note on Greek names: There is no firm convention for the rendering of Greek personal names into English. ... This article is about the Greek Prime Minister whose term began in 2004. ... The European Security and Defence Policy or ESDP is a major element of the Common Foreign and Security Policy pillar of the European Union (EU). ... Party logo The Panhellenic Socialist Movement, better known as PASOK (Greek: Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα, Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima, ΠΑΣΟΚ), is a Greek social democratic political party. ... Party logo The Panhellenic Socialist Movement, better known as PASOK (Greek: Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα, Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima, ΠΑΣΟΚ), is a Greek social democratic political party. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... KKE sticker The Communist Party of Greece, better known by its acronym KKE (Greek: Κομμουνιστικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας, Kommunistiko Komma Elladas), is the major communist party in Greece. ... Party logo The Coalition of the Left, of Movements and Ecology (Shorter: Coalition, Greek: Synaspismos, Συνασπισμός) is a Greek political party of the radical left. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a modern multi-role jet fighter aircraft built in the United States and used by dozens of countries all over the world. ... The Leopard (or Leopard 1) is a German designed and produced main battle tank that first entered service in 1965 and was used as the main battle tank for Germany, several other European countries, Australia, Canada, Brazil and Chile. ... Party logo New Democracy (ND, Greek: Νέα Δημοκρατία, Nea Dhimokratia), founded in 1974, is the main center-right liberal-conservative political party in Greece. ... This article is about the military alliance. ...

Notes

1. ^ Article 16 of the Constitution of Greece.
2. ^ ibid, Section 5: "Education at university level shall be provided exclusively by institutions which are fully self-governed public law legal persons".
3. ^ Eurobarometer, http://europa.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf
4. ^ Jewish Telegraphic Agency: GREEK PARLIAMENT REJECTS PLAN TO END RELIGION LISTING ON I.D.. 04-09-1993
5. ^ Jewish Telegraphic Agency Greek archbishop blames Jews in ID dispute 03-16-2001
6. ^ Military Spending - Rank Order,Military expenditure (2005 figures)
7. ^ All rankings according to the World ranking of military budgets
8. ^ Article from in.gr (08/06/05) (in Greek)
9. ^ US Arms Clients Profiles - Greece
10. ^ ibid: The Greek publication Elevtherotipia reported that former Ambassador Nicholas Burns had taken part in attempting to dissuade Greek officials from purchasing the Eurofighter in favor of a U.S. military aircraft.
11. ^ Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in Greek, 03-09-13
12. ^ Athens News Agency: Press Review in Greek, 01-11-15
13. ^ Speech of PASOK former finance minister Nikos Christodoulakis
14. ^ HR-NET index of BBC broadcasts in Greek, 05-07-19 News

External links

• Greek election results, via the Greek Ministry of Internal Affairs
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• Official website of the Prime Minister of Greece
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