The Greek Politics Specialist Group - GPSG

20/05/2026

10 more days until the deadline for submissions!

The Greek Politics Specialist Group (PSA) and the Hellenic Observatory (LSE) are delighted to invite submissions in the context of the Early Career Scholar Competition for the best research article in the field of Greek politics.

PhD students and Early Career Researchers can now submit their original, unpublished research addressing any aspect of Greek politics (up to 8,000 words).

The winning article will receive a £300 cash prize, along with opportunities to publish and present the research.

27/04/2026

Three days. Six sessions. Seventeen researchers. Eight presenters and discussants. One very productive workshop.

The annual workshop on research methods for doctoral researchers and advanced postgraduate students - co-organised by the Greek Politics Specialist Group (PSA) and the Center for Political Research of Panteion University - wrapped up last Friday.

We opened with welcome remarks from Stella Ladi on behalf of the Centre for Political Research and Dimitra Panagiotatou on behalf of GPSG, before Dimitra led the first session on turning a research idea into a coherent project. We started with research questions, moved to research design, and then examined key design elements - cases, data, and methods -, stress-testing these frameworks against participants' own work.

The afternoon brought a roundtable with Angelos Angelou, Georgios Giannakopoulos, Kira Gartzou-Katsouyanni and Vasiliki (Billy) Tsagkroni on the importance of thinking of how research using evidence from Greece helps us understand broader phenomena - from crisis politics to civil wars. In the end, drawing on the GPSG’s recent workshop in Glasgow [see key take-aways here: https://gpsg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/glasgow-symposium-policy-brief.pdf] and the research projects of the student participants, the discussion turned towards promising future research agendas using Greece as a case, from democratic resilience and backsliding to the politics of climate adaptation.

The second day began with Sofia Tipaldou leading a session of how to ask questions today. Sounds simple, but it is not: we delved into semi-structured interviewing, common biases, real-life (and slightly chaotic) examples, and a lot of honest conversation about the messiness of fieldwork.

Then Aggelos Aggelou tackled AI and academic writing, leading a discussion about analytical clarity, plagiarism risks in relation to third-party tools, and how to use AI tools in a way that is constructive, transparent, and ethical.

Iakovos Makropoulos closed the workshop, on Friday, with another deep dive into how Generative AI and Large Language Models can genuinely support social science research: organising large text collections, extracting information, coding material, validating data. The takeaway? AI is not a shortcut around research practice. It becomes valuable when used critically, transparently, and within a researcher-controlled workflow.

A huge thank you to all our presenters, discussants, and participants - including two researchers who joined us from abroad. Workshops like this one are only as good as the people in the room, and this cohort made every session genuinely rewarding. We look forward to seeing the research that grows out of the conversations that took place during these three days.

14/04/2026

6 weeks left for the submission of your entry for the Early Career Scholar Competition for the best research article in the field of Greek politics, organised by the The Greek Politics Specialist Group - GPSG (PSA) and the Hellenic Observatory (LSE).

PhD students and Early Career Researchers can submit their original, unpublished research addressing any aspect of Greek politics (up to 8,000 words) by the 1st of June.

The winning article will receive a £300 cash prize, along with opportunities to publish and present the research.

You can learn more at: https://lnkd.in/eUGnjrVv.

06/04/2026

Last week, we had a very productive series of panels and discussions at the 72nd Political Studies Association (UK) Annual International Conference in Oxford.

The five presentations at our first panel showcased the breadth of substantive debates in social science that research based on Greece and Cyprus is currently contributing to: from the distribution of landed property and its link to tourism development models, which was the focus of a paper by Kira Gartzou-Katsouyanni and Lamprini Rori; to the long-term outcomes of enforced disappearances in conflict zones, the subject of the study of Alexandros Zachariades, Nikandros Ioannidis and Iosif Kovras; to populist discourse and its contribution to social polarisation by Vasileios Adamidis, PhD, SFHEA; to the political economy of providing assisted reproduction services in under-regulated contexts, the focus of the work by Katerina Glyniadaki and Angelos Angelou; and, finally, to the functioning of political accountability mechanisms following a period of technocratic governance, which Lucas Paulo da Silva is working on together with Jan Berz - scholars of Greece and Cyprus are contributing original insights at the cutting edge of knowledge production across the fields of comparative politics, comparative political economy, and international relations.

In our second panel, the discussion focused on the politics of rural development in Europe. Adalgisa Martinelli discussed the European Commission’s response to recent waves of farmers’ protests. Kira Gartzou-Katsouyanni juxtaposed the impacts of the EU’s spending policies on inter-firm cooperation in Santorini, comparing the impact of the EU's wine policy with cohesion policy. Based on the case of Georgia’s wine industry, Laura Gelhaus highlighted how food products connected to their place of origin can serve to strengthen not only national identity but also European identity. Finally, presenting a paper co-authored with Philip Rathgeb and Arianna Tassinari, Jimena Valdez discussed the Southern European far-right’s embrace of “Mediterranean traditionalism”.

Our specialist group roundtable brought together scholars to explore the dynamics of far-right politics across Europe beyond national boundaries, adopting comparative and transnational perspectives. Chaired by Josefin Graef, the session featured contributions from Daphne Halikiopoulou, Marta Lorimer, and Vasiliki (Billy) Tsagkroni, exploring both convergence and fragmentation (regarding grievances, communication strategies, democratic commitments, and forms of mobilization) within the far right, along with broader consequences of far-right mobilization, including its impact on party competition, political discourse, European integration, and social cohesion.

29/03/2026

The Political Studies Association (UK) 76th International Annual Conference, taking place 30 March - 1 April 2026 in Oxford, is around the corner.

In addition to two panels, we're also organising an oral session on Tuesday the 31st at 15.30, alongside the German and Italian Politics Specialist Groups. The theme is "The European Far Right in Comparative and Transnational Perspective" - we look forward to the conversation!

26/03/2026

The Greek Politics Specialist Group (PSA) is coordinating two panels at the Political Studies Association (UK) 76th International Annual Conference, taking place 30 March - 1 April 2026 in Oxford.

Both panels are on Tuesday 31 March at Wadham College (Knowles Room) consecutively, at 13:30 and 15:30. The themes of the two panels are "Issues of Governance and Accountability: Perspectives from Greece and Cyprus" and "Rural Politics and EU Policies" (joint panel with the Italian Politics Specialist Group), respectively.

Come find us if you're at the conference!

07/03/2026

Applications are now open for the Research Seminar (22-24/04/2026) co-organised by The Greek Politics Specialist Group - GPSG and the Centre for Political Research, Panteion University.

The course is designed for doctoral and advanced postgraduate students who are interested in developing their skills in research methods and particularly, on topics such as research design fundamentals, mixed methods and the use of AI in social science research.

09/02/2026

📄 New policy brief out now
Political Lessons From Greece: A Case of Unlikely Democratic Resilience

What can Greece’s experience of prolonged crisis tell us about how democracies survive and adapt? Drawing on a major symposium co-organised by the University of Glasgow and the The Greek Politics Specialist Group - GPSG, this brief distils key lessons on democratic resilience, crisis governance, and reform, with insights from scholars, practitioners, and a keynote by former PM George A. Papandreou.

06/02/2026

The Greek Politics Specialist Group (PSA) and the Hellenic Observatory (LSE) are delighted to invite submissions in the context of the Early Career Scholar Competition for the best research article in the field of Greek politics.

PhD students and Early Career Researchers can now submit their original, unpublished research addressing any aspect of Greek politics (up to 8,000 words).

The winning article will receive a £300 cash prize, along with opportunities to publish and present the research.

04/02/2026

On the 19th of January, the Greek Politics Specialist Group (PSA) and Stevenson Trust for Citizenship at University of Glasgow hosted a symposium on “Political Lessons from Greece: A Case of Unlikely Democratic Resilience” at the University of Glasgow. The day brought together academics and practitioners, highlighting not only lessons for Greece but lessons from Greece.

The symposium opened with welcoming remarks from Professor Sara Carter, followed by Professor Georgios Karyotis who outlined the broader vision of Peaceful, Secure and Empowered Societies (PSES) and framed the rationale of the symposium, emphasising why revisiting the Greek experience of crisis remains so important today.

A highlight was the keynote address by George Papandreou, former Prime Minister of Greece and Rapporteur for Democracy at the Council of Europe. Drawing on his own experience, he offered powerful reflections on leadership, crisis management and democratic accountability.

Three thematic panels followed.

The first panel, 'Crisis Management and Economic Governance', sponsored by the Political Economy Futures Forum and chaired by Dr Sean Vanatta, explored Greece’s crisis through a comparative political economy lens. Dr Maha Rafi Atal and Dr Franziska Paul further unpacked Greece’s crisis through a comparative lens. Professor Panos Tsakloglou provided policy-grounded insights into structural reforms and social insurance. Last, Professor Platon Tinios examined pension reform and welfare state resilience under austerity.

The second panel, 'Greece in Europe and the World', chaired by Dr Asli Ozcelik Olcay, shifted the focus to geopolitics and collective action. Professor Othon Anastasakis reflected on Greece’s role within the EU and lessons for collective action. Dr Lamprini Rori and Dr Eirini Karamouzi analysed the evolving place of the US within Greek politics and society. Professor Panayotis Tsakonas examined Greek foreign and security policy under sustained pressure.

The third panel, 'Democracy under Strain', chaired by Professor Myrto Tsakatika, focused on rights, trust, and institutional change. Professor Antigone Lyberaki addressed gender, inequality, and social change. Professor Dimitris A. Sotiropoulos explored political trust and democratic resilience. Professor Katerina Fountedaki shared unique insights from the path to same-sex marriage in Greece, and Professor Dimitris Papadimitriou analysed executive governance, accountability, and institutional adaptation.

The event closed with reflections from Dr Dimitris Skleparis and Dr Vasiliki (Billy) Tsagkroni.

Many thanks to the Political Studies Association (UK) and the Stevenson Trust for Citizenship at University of Glasgow for making this event possible.

Expected outputs from the symposium include an edited collection and a policy brief distilling key lessons from the Greek experience for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars concerned with democratic resilience in times of crisis.

Stay tuned!