Radical Nationalism in Greece and the Romance of “No,” with Daphne Halikiopoulou

On July 5th, 2015 Greece said no to a bailout and austerity measures that would have kept them in the eurozone, lending more uncertainty to an already weakened financial structure. The country that birthed Western democracy has found itself at a standstill, with political factions unable or unwilling to find common ground. 

Here to discuss the psychological and historical context behind Greece's struggle is Dr. Daphne Halikiopoulou, an expert in radical nationalism and populism, and the culture and politics of Greece. She is a lecturer at Reading University in the UK on comparative politics, a regular guest on the BBC, and the author of the new book, The Golden Dawn's 'Nationalist Solution': Explaining the Rise of the Far Right in Greece. Recording from Athens, she and host Josh Zepps discuss the cultural and philosophical implications of Greece's financial crisis; what it represents to Greeks and what their struggle says about the security and preservation of secularist values. Dr. Halikiopoulou says that Greece wants to be a leader and an example of progress to the rest of the world, and that perhaps their biggest problem is an infatuation with saying "no" to compromise. 

This episode also features a cameo from an Athenian watermelon salesman.