Page 449 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

GREECE  447

it was in Homer’s time, with conversation
pursued for its own sake in kafeneía and
at dinner tables. Singers, writers, and
poet-lyricists have all kept dimotikí alive.

Development and Diplomacy
Greece remains one of the poorer
members of the European Union. It still
bears the hallmarks of a developing
economy, with agriculture and the service Typical scene at a Greek taverna, a popular place for friends and
sector accounting for two-thirds of the family to socialize
GNP. Tourism has compensated for the 2010, it was revealed that Greece was
decline in other industries, such as world nearly bankrupt and a €110 billion loan
shipping, but unemployment remains high. from the EU and IMF was agreed. PASOK
The fact that the Greek state is less than prime minister George Papandreou
200 years old, combined with recent resigned in late 2011, and 2012 elections
periods of political instability, means produced a coalition government
that there is little faith in headed by ND’s Antonis Samaras.
government institutions. Life Successive 2015 elections yielded
operates on networks of a leftist government under SYRIZA
personal friendships and prime minister Alexis Tsipras.
official contacts. In the
political sphere, the years Home Life
following World War II were The family is still the basic Greek
largely shaped by the influence social unit. Traditionally, one
of two men: Andréas family would farm its own land
Papandréou of the Panhellenic independently, and today, family-
Socialist Movement (PASOK) The late Andréas run businesses are common in
and Conservative Konstantínos Papandréou, twice Greek urban settings. Family life and
Karamanlís, who between them prime minister social life overlap considerably,
held office for much of the period between and tend to revolve around eating out.
1955 and 1995. Arranged marriages and dowries, though
The conservative New Democracy officially banned, persist. Most single
Party led by Kostas Karamanlís (nephew young adults live with their parents and
of Konstantínos) replaced PASOK after a outside the largest cities, few unmarried
convincing election win in 2004. PASOK couples cohabit. Greece has one of the
were back in power by autumn 2009. In lowest birth rates in Europe. Recently, the
status of urban Greek women
has greatly improved. They are
well represented in medicine
and law, and many women
run their own firms. However,
in the country, macho
attitudes still exist, women
often sacrificing a career to
look after the house and
children. That said, the ongoing
economic crisis and more
worldly outlooks have severely
Fishermen mending their nets on one of the Greek islands eroded traditional mores.

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