Abstracts for Greek Political Science Review 29 (2007)

Pantelidou-Malouta, M.
State feminism, gender equality policy, and social perceptions

This paper combines an empirical approach – based on research data concerning perceptions of gender inequality in Greek political culture during the last two decades – with a theoretical treatment of state feminism in the specific EU environment of gender mainstreaming, and its legitimation of a specific vision of gender equality. Data show an impressive change in how gender inequality and the social position of women in Greek society are perceived, which accompanies notable generational effects: It is evident that today it is middle-aged women, and not young women as in the 1980s, that consider more widely that gender inequality is an issue to be confronted. The impact of state feminism implementing EU-inspired measures and policies, using EU jargon concerning “equal opportunity”, monopolizing the feminist domain in Greek political culture more and more during this period, while legitimizing a specific view of gender inequality and the fight against it, are referred to as parts of the explanation concerning the change in the dissemination and type of gender equality/inequality perceptions.

Ladi, S.
Europeanization and public policy change: The case of Greece’s environmental policy

Environmental policy is one of the most regulated and one of the most Europeanized policy areas. This article analyzes the concept of Europeanization, discusses its mechanisms, the mediating factors that lead to change, and its possible outcomes. The case of Greece’s environmental policy is analyzed in order to function as an illustration of the theoretical hypotheses of the model of Europeanization. It is argued that Greek environmental policy converges with European policy at a slow pace. “Hard” and “soft” mechanisms of Europeanization are acting simultaneously, but the national mediating factors present serious problems. Nevertheless, neither inertia nor divergence is observed. The necessity for change has been realized and environmental awareness is increasing.

Karayiannis, Y.
“Parties of government” and politics in contemporary Greece

This article analyzes the last three parliamentary elections in Greece (1996, 2000, 2004) focusing on the two major contestants for power, that is, the parties of New Democracy and PASOK. It offers an explanation of the electoral outcome from the point of view of the strategies and political competition developed between them. It argues that these elections constitute a new era in the field of competition between the two major parties, with characteristics distinct from the past. More specifically, the two major parties now operate as “catch-all” and “cartel” parties, which explains both the electoral results and the general status and dynamics in the political and party system in Greece. In the case of PASOK, the “catch-all” and “cartel” function was expressed through the aim for “modernization”, whilst in the ND, through the ideological position of the “middle space”. This new era of the “catch-all” and “cartel” function of the two major parties is characterized by a plethora of new conditions that now dominate the competition between them.

Hatzipantelis, T, I. Andreadis
Voter transitions towards the Centre Union in the parliamentary elections of 1963 and 1964

This paper deals with voter transitions towards the Center Union in the Greek parliamentary elections of 1963 and 1964. These transitions led from the crash of the centrist political forces in the parliamentary elections of 1958 to the triumph of the Centre Union in the parliamentary elections of 1964. The lack of any individual-level survey data leads to the necessity of using electoral data published in aggregate form. The dramatic developments in the ecological inference field in the last decade have provided methods that produce consistent estimates of individual behaviour from the analysis of aggregate data. With the innovative tools available and using the electoral data available, the modern researcher is able to estimate national-level voter transitions. In addition, local flows of voters between any two parties within each electoral region can be estimated. This is a significant feature that even surveys, because of relatively small sample sizes, are not able to provide. The analysis indicates that the Centre Union managed to defeat the sovereign left-right dipole that had resulted from the 1958 elections. In the 1963 elections, only six out of the ten Centre Union voters originated from the centre of the left-right political spectrum. The 1964 estimates show that the Centre Union retained all the profits acquired in 1963 and extended its influence to the voters of rival political parties.

Magliveras, K. D.
The significance of multilateral treaties for the protection of international migration

Both during the process of migration and the residence of immigrants in the territory of the host countries, the question of the effective protection of their rights and freedoms invariably arises. This question is linked to the migration policy that each host country decides to pursue. This article argues that the multilateral texts that have been adopted by the International Labour Organization, the Council of Europe, and the United Nations contain a framework of rules offering the expected protection, while covering any gaps in national legislation.