4 Greece and Turkey in the Balkans: Cooperation or Rivalry?

Greek University Students Describe the Role of Greece in the Balkans: From Equality to Superiority

“…The influence that Greece can exert on the Balkan economies has also been reinforced by its gross domestic product (GDP), which is higher than the GDP in all the other Balkan countries. 43 Furthermore, it is worth pointing out that with the end of conflict and warfare in the region and due to the fact that trade in the contemporary Balkan countries is relatively free and will improve in the future, Greek commerce and those entrepreneurs who wish to invest in these countries have been presented with enormous opportunities. Despite any problems arising from weak customs administration, difficult border clearance procedures and other weaknesses in governance, these countries have emerged as significant markets for Greek products.…”

“…Needless to say, the foundations of Western democracies rest on a large and contested middle class. 58 For many years, Greece, characterized as a consolidated democracy which tends to avoid conflicts, acted as a stabilizing point of reference for its less stable neighbouring countries 59 and a paradigm of democratic consolidation and Europeanization, with its extremely rapid democratic transition after its period of dictatorship (1967)(1968)(1969)(1970)(1971)(1972)(1973)(1974). Greece stabilized its democratic regime-almost automatically-through its institutions (the Greek transition to democracy lasted four months in 1974) and, furthermore, it managed to overcome the seven years of complete marginalization and international unreliability(except for the US government, no other country had recognized the authoritarian regime).…”