Greece in Ireland: Irish News & Events
of Special Greek  Interest

by Catherine Mack
The Irish Times, November 7, 2009

Instead of being out to make a fast tourist buck, the people Catherine Mack met on a family holiday on the Greek island were keen to show their hospitality and share their culture

CRETANS CONSIDER themselves to be one big family. Just as we can’t confuse the origins of anyone whose surname begins with O’, they can spot a fellow islander anywhere, as most Cretan family names end in “akis”. Locals say this dates from the 250-year Turkish rule of Crete, which finished in 1898; the occupiers forced islanders to add the insulting “akis”, or “little”, to their names. Cretans now consider the suffix a badge of honour.

Greece in Ireland: Irish News &
Events of Special Greek Interest


“We returned home relaxed and perhaps a bit more thoughtful. We had made new friends, and we promised to meet up again next year. Where? Greece, of course.”
 

In Plato's homeland by Eileen Pearson
The Irish Times, October 31, 2009

Go reader EILEEN PEARSON was one of a group of philosophy students who paid homage to their Greek hero

WE WERE a group of 70 from all over the world, and we had come to Delphi, a place once known as the centre of the universe. We had one thing in common: a love of Plato.

My choice of a study holiday might seem unusual – hard work, even. A fortnight on a Greek beach would be a welcome escape from talk of recession and Nama, you might imagine. But for me a fortnight learning about the great Greek philosopher on his home ground – which also happens to have a balmy climate – and exploring archaeological sites is the perfect tonic.

The European Union is expanding with countries like Croatia and Albania joining the club. But the stone of scandal among Europeans is none other but the Turkish candidateship. 

Europeans are split over whether Turkey should or should not join the EU. Those in favour argue that Turkey can serve as a geopollitical base in the middle east for influence and making peace; that it will help get relations between the muslim world and the western world back on track; that it has a lot of its own influence in the Middle East and like Europe and the USA is heavily critical of the Isreali goverment and its recent invasion of Palestine; that Turkey, being one of Europe's biggest economies and 15th biggest in the world (a totally insubstantial argument since Turkey holds the 33rd place in the International Trade Statistics chart - table 1.8) will add to the econonomic strength of the union and will further increase Europe's lead of America and China.

Europeans, particularly the northern ones, fail to understand why Greeks (that is the people, not the government) are opposed to Turkey becoming an EU member. They say we should give them a chance to prove they are not the boogeyman we think they are.

I, for one, am all in for giving everybody a chance, when they deserve it. But relations between Greece and Turkey need some serious reparing before any Greek willingly accepts Turkey's entry to the EU. 
 
Certain news and incidents probably do not reach the utmost north parts of the continent. This is why I find it necessary to state the reasons why we are so reluctant to see Turkey joining the EU.

by Chris Mouzeviris
WGN's correspondent in Dublin. Ireland

Loads of noise, excitement and breaking news about the European Elections. The most awaited event in Europe in 2009, for sure. And of course, I was cought up in it. I was really looking forward to go and cast my vote, elect my MEP, and have a say and influence in Europe and the EU. Only to find out, that things do not work as they should  (or perhaps I should say as I would expect them to  in order to make sense to me) in our system. I was refused to vote in the European elections as I was eligible to vote only in the local ones -which I did-, because beside my name there was an “L”. Meaning “local" elections only.

But I argued, I am an EU citizen, which means I should be able to vote in the European elections too! I showed them my passport, and they told me that "yes you should vote, but you should have contacted the City Council to arrange that". I replied that when I filled out the form to enter the electorate register , I stated my EU citizentship  status and it should be obvious that I am eligible for both, by EU law. EU nationals in another EU country can vote or be elected for the local and European elections. So where is the problem?

Democracy in the western world and Europe, is one of our fundamental assets, the spine cord of our civilization , and the pride and joy of our culture. Yet democracy, is a relevant idea if it lacks it’s main ingredient: the public. Any democratic system that it’s people are indifferent, ignorant or hostile to it’s institutions and functions, is in danger of becoming nothing more than a theatre without the audience and the actors. An empty and meaningless institution.

Democracy can exist in a national, and an international level. As long as the people who are affected by the decisions  of the Parliament, the heart of every democracy in the world, are getting involved, vote, debate, and being informed for the decisions taken by it, democracy exists and prevails. Either in one nation or state, or in an international organisation that is formed by many states, like the EU, democracy can be present once its laws take place.

The duties of each one of us who is a citizen of a democratic country or a group of states, are  most importantly to vote, care, be aware and participate in the functions and decision making of the democratic system he belongs, as his or her actions are necessary for the establishment of a functioning democracy. Turn your back to it, or have no interest in participating, and you do not just lose your voice, your influence and your chance to express your satisfaction or dissatisfaction, but technically you lose your right to democracy. It works for you and with you, but without you, not only it loses it’s power, but you also lose every right to complain about everything you dislike in the country you live in, or the group of countries who form the democratic institution your country belongs, simply because you took no part in forming the governing Parliament and did not care or bother to participate in the election process.