Abstract

In late 2009, many of the most widely read international news outlets dedicated their cover page to news and commentary about the unfolding ‘Greek tragedy.’ Many analysts voiced the concern that Greece’s economic crisis could spread into other heavily indebted countries, which would ignite a European sovereign debt crisis. After widely criticised policy manoeuvres (and in exchange for multi-billion euro bailouts) the Greek government signed a series of memoranda with the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (the so-called troika), which committed it to tough austerity measures that quickly started tearing the country’s social fabric apart. The public’s response was immediate and strong: massive, and often violent, social unrest, including mass demonstrations, strikes, riots, and occupations of public institutions.