The Agora

Dec 11 2024 56 ep. 46 mins 51

The Agora Podcast artwork

The Agora is a podcast created by the team behind MacroPolis. It’s a political and economic analysis website based in Athens.

In this podcast series, we examine political, economic and social developments in Greece. But our podcasts will also look at what’s happening in the world around us.

We provide listeners with insight from our own experts and analysis from special guests.

If you enjoy intelligent, lively discussion and want the bigger picture, join us for a stroll through the Agora.

To get an idea of the kind of insight we provide, check out The Agora blog, which has being going strong since 2013.

Our theme music is a track called Straight Line Blues and has been kindly provided by the Burgundy Grapes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Budgeting for the future: How robust is the Greek economy?

Dec 11 2024 21 mins

Greek Parliament is about to vote on the 2025 budget, so The Agora is looking at what the government's economic plan entails, while also examining the bigger picture as far as the country's economy is concerned.MacroPolis co-founder Yiannis Mouzakis joins us to explain why there has been so much attention on the revenue side of the budget. He also identifies where the key strengths

Party people: SYRIZA vs Kasselakis

Dec 02 2024 27 mins

SYRIZA, the leftist party that experienced a stunning rise to power from the fringes of Greek politics, has elected a new leader but will it be enough to rescue it from its slide back to the sidelines?Its former leader, nascent politician Stefanos Kasselakis, has hit back by launching his own party, Movement for Democracy. Will he have any impact or is it all show?These are some of

Internal combustion problems leave New Democracy spluttering

Nov 25 2024 32 mins

In mid-November, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis decided to expel from the ruling New Democracy party one of his predecessors, Antonis Samaras.Samaras headed the centre-right party for several years and was the leader of a coalition government between 2012 and 2015, which means his dismissal was big news in Greece.So, why did Mitsotakis make this dramatic move and what it

Leading questions: What was the point of PASOK’s leadership vote?

Oct 17 2024 28 mins

Nikos Androulakis has been re-elected as leader of PASOK, the centre-left party that is hoping to establish itself as the main opposition party in Greece and, ultimately, challenge centre-right New Democracy for power.Given that Androulakis cruised to his victory, was there any point to this leadership contest? Also, where does it leave PASOK as it seeks to take advantage of turmoi

Full of energy: How Greece (& Europe) is handling the green transition

Jul 16 2024 31 mins

The Agora hosts a discussion on how Europe, and Greece specifically, have been handling the green transition, addressing questions like how the pivot away from natural gas is going.The basis for our discussion is three articles written by MacroPolis features editor Georgia Nakou, and senior policy analyst and partner at The Green Tank, an Athens-based think-tank, Nikos Mantzaris.Th

Wake up poll: Euro elections jolt Greek politics

Jun 11 2024 44 mins

The European Parliament elections held in Greece on June 9 produced a few surprises, some of which could be significant for the country's political scene over the next few months and years.The ruling centre-right party, New Democracy, performed worse than opinion polls had suggested and fell below the bar set by its leader, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The main opposition pa

Overtourism over here: Greek islands feel the strain

Jun 06 2024 23 mins

Greece is preparing to welcome a record number of tourists again this year, but their visits will take place against a backdrop of growing concern among locals about the damage being done to the islands and their way of life by rapid development.Greek policy makers face a dilemma over how to balance the growth and job creation provided by tourism, a vital industry for the local eco

Whose property? Greece’s housing challenges

Apr 23 2024 24 mins

After going through a really difficult time during the country’s long economic crisis, the Greek property market is booming, but that's creating a whole new set of problems.High rental and purchase prices are pricing out much of the local population as foreign investors snap up apartments and entire buildings in pursuit of profits.Host Nick Malkoutzis is joined by Stelios Bouras,

How much is Greece getting out of the RRF?

Apr 02 2024 20 mins

In the wake of the Covid pandemic, the European Union launched the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) - a package of around 700 billion euros to help member states recover from the economic impact and build for the future.Greece's portion of these funds is considered vital for the country's efforts to overcome the effects of its long economic crisis, as well as the disruption c

Between investment grade and rule of law: Greece’s contrasting images

Mar 21 2024 23 mins

Phoebe and Nick are back to examine the contrasting images of Greece abroad and how they sit side by side.A few months ago, rating agencies started to restore the investment grade for Greece's sovereign debt - more than a decade after it was lost. It was a reflection of the growing confidence that markets have in the political situation, the government's policy choices and the coun