Μake us preferred on Google These are institutes where bright people come together to discuss the great questions of the day and, ideally, propose solutions to the challenges ahead. Athens recently hosted the second Greek-German Think Tank Dialogue. Behind it are two heavyweights in their respective countries: the Delphi Economic Forum (DEF) on the Greek side and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), whose analyses carry weight well beyond the German government.
The participation of the Goethe-Institute and the German-Greek Chamber of Industry and Commerce enriched the gathering. Neither had been at the table for the inaugural meeting in Berlin a year ago. The agenda was broad: Over two days, experts and policymakers from both countries discussed security and defense policy, economic and energy challenges and, finally – in a refreshing turn – the role of culture in bilateral relations.
Conferences of this kind generally take place behind closed doors, under the Chatham House Rule. The views presented below are therefore attributed to neither individuals nor institutions. This anonymity allows for more candid discussion, which can be particularly useful when politically sensitive issues are at stake.
The meeting opened with high praise for the Greek government’s reform policies. The country’s people and government deserved “a huge round of applause,” as one compliment put it. Of political significance is the agreement between Athens and Berlin in their assessment of the broader security landscape. There was talk of “100 percent agreement.” Differences remain, however, in the relative weight given to their respective “threat perceptions.” The Greeks are chiefly concerned about Ankara’s revisionist intentions. This is nothing new and is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Russia’s growing hybrid attacks occupy the military establishments of both countries, as does the prospect of a gradual U.S. disengagement. The “strategic autonomy” Europe must pursue is therefore more than a political buzzword. It also featured prominently at this meeting. Once again, the discussion made clear just how far there is to go. “Can we achieve autonomy when the Americans are up to five times as advanced as we are technologically?” was one question raised during the discussion of American and Chinese dominance in key sectors of the economy. Europe was under enormous pressure, but it need not bury its head in the sand: Strong institutions, democracy and the rule of law were qualities that would allow it to thrive in the years ahead.
A separate panel addressed energy policy, which increasingly shapes people’s daily lives. The transition to renewable energy was advancing in both countries. Dependence on fossil fuels – and thus on unpredictable suppliers – would nevertheless persist for the foreseeable future. The bad news, not least for all of us: High energy prices are also here to stay for now. On this, the experts agreed. Only an end to the war in Ukraine and a resumption of Russian gas supplies could change that. But neither was currently in sight.
The final session turned to culture. An imaginative choice was to explore its role through the example of documenta. Some will remember: at the height of the Greek crisis, this world-leading exhibition of contemporary art was held jointly in Athens and Kassel for the first time. “Learning from Athens” was the highly controversial title of the sprawling event, eventually dropped after much debate.
The joint retrospective on documenta now showed just how much times – and with them German-Greek relations, and above all the narrative about Greece in Germany – have changed for the better in recent years. Ten years ago, the organizers ultimately dropped the title “Learning from Athens” for fear that people might take it as ironic. Today, similar suggestions that Greece could serve as a model for Germany have become commonplace in parts of the German press and among the country’s political leaders. Without a trace of irony.
Dr. Ronald Meinardus is a Senior Research Fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP).
