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The Agora

The Agora

Νίκος Μαλκουτζής, Φοίβη Φρονίστα

Επιχειρηματικά Νέα Πολιτική Σχολιασμός Ειδήσεων

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.

επεισόδια	56
διάρκεια	43 ώρες
συχνότητα	κάθε 2 εβδομάδες
επεισόδιο	πριν 10 ημέρες
ηλικία	πάνω από 4 χρόνια
προσθήκη	πριν σχεδόν 4 χρόνια

Greek elections: A marathon, not a sprint

Greece is holding general elections on Sunday, May 21. The vote might lack the drama of previous elections, when the country’s fate was on the line amid a devastating economic crisis, but it could still end up being a rather complicated and tense process.The Agora returns to examine the key issues going into this ballot, who the main players are, what the parties are promising, how the vote...

A game of marbles: Are the Parthenon Sculptures coming home?

After decades of making little progress in securing the return of the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum, Greece appears to be edging closer to a possible deal for the repatriation of the ancient sculptures.Last December, Greek daily newspaper Ta Nea reported that Greek government officials, including Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, had held talks with the British Museum’s chair,...

What's the problem with Greece's media?

Recently Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis dismissed concerns about media independence in his country and labelled the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) assessment of Greece as lying in 108th place in the organisation's annual World Press Freedom Index as "crap".In this episode, Nick Malkoutzis and Phoebe Fronista look into why Greece has scored so badly in the RSF ranking and try to find...

Greece’s surveillance scandal: Is anybody listening?

Since the summer, a surveillance scandal has been gripping Greece. It emerged that the leader of Greece’s third party, PASOK, was being spied on by the country’s National Intelligence Service (EYP) but that there had also been an attempt to install spyware on his mobile phone.Over the last few weeks, there have been further revelations about the use of wiretapping in Greece. Lists of dozens of...

Greece sets out on long road to 2023 elections

The leaders of Greece’s three main parties have set out their policies, but also the political parameters, that will define next year’s elections.So, what are the key issue at stake and what will decide the outcome of the vote, or more likely votes, that are due to take place in 2023?Co-hosts Nick Malkoutzis and Phoebe Fronista discuss what we can take away from the appearances made by the...

How is the Ukraine war affecting Greece?

Like so many other countries, Greece is feeling the impact of the Ukraine war in many ways, whether this is through spiralling energy costs, turbulence in the global economy, a shifting geopolitical balance or the flow of refugees into the country.In this episode of The Agora, we take a closer look at the reverberations from Ukraine being felt across Greece.More than 40,000 Ukrainian refugees...

Rising sun: How will PASOK's revival affect Greek politics?

Greece’s socialist party, PASOK, was the powerhouse of Greek politics since the early 1980s. However, the debt crisis that emerged from 2009 sucked the life out of the centre-left grouping. Its share of the vote fell from 44 pct that year to roughly a tenth of that in 2015 as PASOK became a toxic political brand.Recently, though, the party has been making something of a comeback. It elected a...

Losing game: Greece's weak defence against hooliganism

Following a deadly attack on a 19-year-old football fan in Thessaloniki in early February, the Greek government has announced new measures aimed at reining in hooliganism.However, we've been here before in Greece. So, will the latest measures actually make any difference or are they just a knee-jerk, ineffective reaction to a problem that needs a much wider, consistent approach?We start by...

Riding into the danger zone: Greece gets new jets

Greece recently received the first six state-of-the art fighter jets it has ordered from France, hoping that their arrival marks the start of an upgrade of its military capabilities, but also an improvement in its geopolitical standing.The Rafale planes - of which Greece is expecting another 18 - touched down in Greece to much fanfare and excitement. This episode of The Agora examines whether...

The Greek economy: A macro view

The Greek economy is back in focus on this episode of The Agora as we take a peak at the 2022 budget and a closer look at broader trends and challenges.MacroPolis co-founder Yiannis Mouzakis provides a whistlestop tour of the budget, explaining its key elements and what obstacles the Greek government's economic plan could encounter next year.Two men with extensive knowledge of the Greek...

Earth, wind & fire – Greece, clean energy & the climate crisis

In the wake of the COP26 meeting, The Agora analyses what Greece brought to the discussion and how this tallies with the efforts being made on the ground to tackle the climate crisis.The head of policy at WWF Greece, Theodota Nantsou, evaluates the Greek authorities' actions.With the help of journalist Evridiki Bersi, we also take a closer look at wind power and why there are concerns about how...

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen Angela Merkel

The outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel was a ubiquitous figure during the Greek crisis, often making her a target for the frustrations generated by the austerity policies she and her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), advocated.Some of that is water under the bridge now and her recent visit to Athens was accompanied by compliments and diplomatic niceties.As she continues her...

Planes, frigates and assistance clauses - Greece's new defence deals and the Turkish reaction

Greece recently signed two major defence deals, one with France and another with the USA. On this episode, Nick Malkoutzis and Phoebe Fronista examine the significance and implications of these agreements.MacroPolis foreign policy analyst Alexandra Voudouri explains why we should take note of these pacts, which include the purchase of at least three new French frigates. Alexandra also looks at...

The lives and legacy of Mikis Theodorakis

Earlier this month, Greece lost one of the most emblematic figures of its modern era, composer Mikis Theodorakis, who died on September 2 at the age of 96.Theodorakis was a multi-talented and multi-faceted figure who left his mark due to his radical politics and public interventions as well as his ground-breaking music, which blended Greek popular sounds with classic elements.On this show, we...

30 Ιουν 2021

Yearning for a normal Greek summer

The long, hot Greek summer is underway. But will it be like the summers we have grown to love or will Covid-19 get in the way again?The Agora podcast is back: Co-hosts Nick Malkoutzis and Phoebe Fronista launch the third season by trying to find out whether Greece has cause to feel optimistic this summer.Phoebe speaks to the manager of a private beach in southern Athens to find out if the...

Greece's year of trying to shake off Covid-19

Greece has been grappling with the coronavirus for just over a year, sometimes with success but other times less convincingly.As Greece went past 10,000 Covid-related deaths and prepares to reach 3 million vaccinations this week, The Agora looks back at what's gone right and wrong since Covid-19 first emerged.Nick Malkoutzis speaks to MacroPolis co-founder Yiannis Mouzakis and features editor...

The heavy arm of the law: Police brutality in Greece

The behaviour of the Greek police has come under scrutiny, again, following a number of incidents over which officers have been accused of using unnecessary and excessive force.In this episode, we take a look at why police tactics have triggered public protests, what ails the force and how it can be fixed.MacroPolis features editor Georgia Nakou speaks to co-host Phoebe Fronista about recent...

Long live the revolution: The legacy of Greece's 1821 war of independence

Greece is celebrating the 200th anniversary of its war of independence, which began in 1821 and allowed Greeks to free themselves of Ottoman rule and oppression, and form their own nation-state.To mark this occasion, we spoke to Sakis Gekas, the Hellenic Heritage Foundation (HHF) Chair of Modern Greek History at York University in Canada. He told The Agora about where the Greek revolution...

Days of wine and roses ahead for Greek economy?

On this episode of The Agora, we check in with the Greek economy again to see how it is performing under the pressure of the coronavirus.MacroPolis co-founder Yiannis Mouzakis and the site's economics editor Marcus Bensasson explain what the latest GDP figures mean, what sectors of the economy are suffering and how important the upcoming tourism season will be.We also take a closer look at a...

Greece's #MeToo moment: A time for catharsis?

Greece is in the grip of a steady stream of claims about sexual harassment, assault and abuse allegedly carried out by men in positions of power.In this episode of The Agora podcast, hosts Nick Malkoutzis and Phoebe Fronista speak to a range of women about this developing story.New York Times correspondent Niki Kitsantonis explains how the #MeToo developments began and why they are becoming...