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Social cohesion is an established policy goal in Greece. Since 2005, groups such as the Roma and non-Greek economic immigrants have been recognised as deserving special protection ("socially sensitive groups"). Policy objectives include ensuring minimum levels of welfare, access to education and equality of opportunity for all. A key challenge is the social integration of Roma people, as well as the increasing numbers of economic immigrants. An integrated inter-ministerial programme of social cohesion measures directed to the Roma community, including an educational initiative which, reportedly, more than doubled the percentage of Roma children completing obligatory (9-year) education, was launched in... read more →

Since the late 1980s, the Greek audiovisual media sector is organised in two tiers: the public radio and television broadcasting, represented by ERT (the Greek Radio and Television corporation), and a large number of private radio and television channels. There is legislation putting restrictions on the ownership of media by companies or individuals having other large-scale financial interests as foreseen by the EU free market provisions. There are also two competing digital satellite TV and radio services, bundling together a large number of international and Greek channels. Cable TV is not gaining ground visibly in Greece. Private TV channels cannot... read more →

Greek is the official language of Greece, and the native language spoken by the vast majority of Greek citizens. Modern Greek is the natural evolution of earlier forms of the Greek language, from the late Bronze Age through to Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and post-Byzantine times, and retains to a significant extent the vocabulary base and syntax of earlier forms. The poetics and rhetoric of Modern Greek can be best appreciated with knowledge of earlier literary and linguistic traditions. Through urbanisation and the homogenising effect of national education and the audiovisual media, local variants of the Greek language have become... read more →

Greece has developed as a relatively homogeneous society as witnessed through the development of nation-state institutions, socio-economic development and urbanisation. Greece recognises a Muslim minority in Thrace and the Roma population is dispersed throughout the different regions of Greece. A major issue to be addressed today is the large numbers of migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers who have moved to all parts of Greece in increasing numbers from 1990 onwards, more than half of them from neighbouring Albania, and more recently from Central Asia and the inadequacy of mechanisms for their cultural integration. The effects, both positive and worrying,... read more →

The state continues to be the primary sponsor of culture and the arts; however private foundations have been gaining an increasing role in this direction lately. A contemporary cultural venue established by the Onassis Foundation opened its doors to the public at the end of 2010 offering a wide variety of cultural programming, while the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) is funding the construction and complete outfitting of the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera, as well as the development of the educational and cultural Stavros Niarchos Park at the Faliron region in Athens, which will be completed... read more →

Since the 1980s, there has been an attempt to marry the traditional policy priority of archaeological heritage protection and research with regional development policies, in the context of the 2nd Support Framework Programme co-funded by the European Commission. The primary goal remains to provide the necessary infrastructure and recognition to attract cultural tourism. This policy was manifested in the: funding of large-scale archaeological research and site restoration projects, both in Athens and in the regions;new museum building projects, intended to provide necessary storage space for newly-found archaeological artefacts and to become a focus for visitors; andsuccessful efforts to increase the... read more →

Cultural policy priorities, as derived from policy documents and budget allocation priorities during the last five years, are: the shift towards maximisation of the economic benefit from culture and the arts, necessary in order to support current levels of funding for cultural activities in the fields of cultural heritage and the arts. This is manifested organisationally through the twinning of culture and tourism in a joint Ministry of Culture and Tourism since 2009, as well as in mainstreaming and integrationist activities and initiatives aimed at maximizing, especially, numbers of visitors to sites of Greek cultural heritage, and also the international... read more →

Several cooperation projects have been initiated in the last decade within the INTERREG funding programme, involving local authorities, festivals or organisations and addressing issues of intercultural cooperation. Greece participates in the UN World Tourism Organisation's Silk Road project, a collaborative initiative between 25 states aiming at highlighting the importance of tourism routes development, in facilitating connectivity and collaboration between the mosaic of destinations that make up the Silk Road. Greece also participates in the Silk Road Project initiated by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism which is still in its initiating phase, with a first working group meeting planned... read more →

Organisations operating under the arms-length principle are active in the field of international cultural co-operation, in fields as diverse as the organisation of cultural events and festivals, the translation of literary works, the diffusion of the Greek language, and cultural heritage preservation, e.g. European Cultural Centre of Delphi, the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, the National Centre for the Book, and the European Centre of Byzantine Monuments. Independent not-for-profit foundations such as the Alexandros A. Onassis Foundation, and some large private companies, have also been active in financially supporting international cultural exchange events, such as blockbuster travelling exhibitions, concerts and festivals.... read more →

Greece is a member of UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the European Union, and a signatory of most international agreements and declarations in the field of culture. It is also a member of the Francophonie organisation, by virtue of the strong cultural links established between Greece and France since the late 19th century. Greece actively participates in cultural co-operation programmes with a strong European, South-East European or Mediterranean dimension. During the last decades, it has played an active role in policy-oriented international co-operation. Among multilateral actions driven by the Ministry of Culture, there is an emphasis in regional co-operation... read more →