As we are diving into the frameworks of both Mediterranean democracy/ geopolitics and the Eurozone crisis we have had the unique opportunity to directly experience what we learning via the environment around us! Just in the first week of being here we have spoken with locals who have been directly affected by the crisis and even had the incredible opportunity to attend a local political rally supporting Greece's Syriza party. With elections right around the corner, the way in which this program has allowed us as students to actually feel the political energy of a state on the brink of drastic changes has been truly incredible.
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| Syriza Party Poster from Tuesday's rally |
One theme which seems to continue to be at the forefront of our conversations in class is the unquestioned geopolitical importance of Greece. It is, as we have heard Professor Vamvakas say countless times, a crossroad between the East and West. But what are the implications of this position?
The article that I have linked here discusses many of the issues that have not just been debated in class but have actually become familiarized to us in just six days of being here in Crete. These issues are the ones dominating the conversations we pass by in public meeting spaces. They are the issues that we heard farmers questioning the Syriza party about at the rally on Tuesday night. And though this article certainly does not have the answers to the problems faced by Greece, it certainly has some interesting points in terms of the cultural and geopolitical themes that we have been constructing over the past four days!
Hope this adds to our discussion! Enjoy!
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