Greece: Political Developments and Data in 2022

Abstract

The year 2022 was marked by the onset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In February, the Greek government was quick to respond in support of the Ukrainian people defending their homeland. The city of Mariupol, home to a significant Greek diasporic community, was at the epicenter of the public's attention. Energy prices skyrocketed because of the war. Inflation, which was already at 5 per cent—the highest point in a decade—by the end of 2021, continued to soar reaching 12 per cent in the summer and an overall 7.2 per cent by the end of the year. Gross domestic product per capita increased at a faster rate than expected, but the trade deficit of the country also increased dramatically. The government continued to deal with the devastating impact of the pandemic. In May, Prime Minister (PM) Mitsotakis became the first Greek head of government to address a joint session of the US Congress at a time when Greek–Turkish relations deteriorated. In July, a wiretapping scandal targeting one of the opposition leaders, but also journalists, shook the political system and unseated the head of the National Intelligence Service, as well as the PM's general secretary, who was overseeing the agency. In December, Member of the European Parliament Eva Kaili was arrested and jailed in a Belgian prison as part of the so-called Qatargate scandal. The ruling party, New Democracy, remained hegemonic. The main opposition party, the Coalition of the Radical Left, SYRIZA, continued to struggle. Finally, a staggering number of femicides occurred in 2022, 16 in total.