Introduction

Greece is a Parliamentary Republic. The President is the Head of State and is elected by the Parliament every five years. The Prime Minister is the Head of Government. The Ministerial Council, consisting of the Prime Minister, Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Ministers without portfolio is the collective decision-making body that comprises the Government of Greece, which is the executive branch.

Although the President of the Republic has limited political power, as most power lies with the government, his duties include formally appointing the Prime Minister, on whose recommendation he also appoints or dismisses other members of government. He represents the state in its relations with other states, proclaims referendums and more.

Greece is the 45th largest economy in the world with a nominal gross domestic product（GDP）of USD 235.6 billion per year. It is also the 51st largest state in the world by purchasing power parity, at USD 291.9 billion per year. It is currently the 13th largest economy in the 28-member European Union.

In terms of the main sectors of activity, Greece's economy is mostly based on services（82.8 percent）. Industrial sectors follow（13.3 percent）along with the agricultural sector（3.9 percent）. Tourism is its main industry with several million tourists visiting the country every year. In fact, it is the 16th most visited country in the world.

The Greek Merchant Navy is the largest in the world, with Greek-owned vessels accounting for 15 percent of global deadweight tonnage as of 2013. Over the past years there has been an increased demand for international maritime transportation between Greece and Asia, which has resulted in significant investment in the shipping industry.

Legislative branch

Legislative power is exercised by Parliament and the President of the Republic. General elections are held every four years unless the Parliament is dissolved earlier. The electorate consists of all Greek citizens who are 18 years of age. Each new Government, after a general election or after the previous government's resignation, has to appear before Parliament and request a vote of confidence.

The State is structured by the Constitution. The Constitution of Greece is the fundamental Charter of the State. It has been voted by the Fifth Revisional Assembly and enforced in 1975. It was amended in 1986, in 2001 and in 2008 by the Greek Parliament. It includes the main rules concerning the structure of the State, the exercise of its powers by the authorities as well as a list of human rights.

The Hellenic Parliament is the supreme democratic institution that represents the citizens through the elected body of Members of Parliament（MPs）, whose core activity is legislative work and the exercise of control over Government. Currently, the Hellenic Parliament consists of 300 deputies. They are elected through direct, universal, secret and simultaneous ballot for a term of four years. The Parliament is headed by the Speaker.

Judicial branch

The judicial branch is divided into civil and administrative courts. Civil courts judge civil and penal cases, whereas administrative courts judge administrative cases, namely disputes between the citizens and the State. The Council of State（Symvoulio tis Epikrateias）is the Supreme Administrative Court of Greece. Areios Pagos is the Supreme Civil and Criminal Court. The Court of Audit（Elegktiko Synedrio）has jurisdiction on the audit of the expenditures of the State, local government agencies and other legal entities.

These high courts are composed of professional judges, graduates of the National School of Judges. The way the judges are gradually promoted, until they become members of the Supreme Courts, is defined by the Constitution and the existing laws. The presidents and the vice-presidents of the three Supreme Courts are chosen by the Cabinet of Greece among the serving members of each of the Supreme Courts.

Sometimes, the Supreme Courts take contradictory decisions or they judge differently the constitutionality of a legal provision. When this happens, the Supreme Special Court is in charge, whose composition and jurisdiction is regulated by Article 100 of the Constitution. The court is not permanent and only convenes on an ad hoc basis. When the Supreme Special Court sits, it comprises 11 members:the Presidents of the three Supreme Courts, four members of the Court of Cassation and four members of the Council of State.

Greece and the EU

Accession negotiations between Greece and the European Union were initiated in July 1976 and brought to a conclusion in May 1979, with the signing of the Accession Deed in Athens（Zappeion Megaron）. The Greek Parliament ratified the Accession Deed of Greece to the European Community on 28 June 1979. The Accession Treaty entered into force two years later, on 1 January 1981.

Greece is strategically located at the north-eastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea, forming the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula in south-east Europe. With regard to its specific participation in the European Union：

European Parliament

There are 21 members of the European Parliament who are from Greece.

Council of the EU

In the Council of the EU, national ministers meet regularly to adopt EU laws and coordinate policies. Council meetings are regularly attended by representatives from the Greek government, depending on the policy area being addressed.

Presidency of the Council of the EU

The Council of the EU doesn't have a permanent, single-person president. Instead, its work is led by the country holding the Council presidency, which rotates every six months. During these six months, ministers from that country's government chair and help determine the agenda of Council meetings in each policy area, and facilitate dialogue with the other EU institutions.

Dates of Greek presidencies：

Jul-Dec 1983/Jul-Dec 1988/Jan-Jun 1994/Jan-Jun 2003/Jan-Jun 2014.

European Commission

The Commissioner nominated by Greece to the European Commission is currently Dimitris Avramopoulos, who is responsible for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship. The Commission is represented in each EU country by a local office, called a“representation”.

European Economic and Social Committee

Greece has 13 representatives on the European Economic and Social Committee. This advisory body—representing employers, workers and other interest groups—is consulted on proposed laws, to get a better idea of the possible changes to work and social situations in member countries.

Committee of the Regions

Greece has 12 representatives on the Committee of the Regions, the EU's assembly of regional and local representatives. This advisory body is consulted on proposed laws, to ensure these laws take account of the perspective from each region of the EU.

Permanent representation to the EU

Greece also communicates with the EU institutions through its permanent representation in Brussels. As Greece's“embassy to the EU”, its main task is to ensure that the country's interests and policies are pursued as effectively as possible in the EU.

Greece and the Eurozone

Greece was accepted into the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union by the European Council on 19 June 2000, based on a number of criteria（inflation rate, budget deficit, public debt, longterm interest rates, exchange rate）using 1999 as the reference year.

Greece has been majorly involved in the eurozone crisis that hit in 2009. Over the past years, the scenario of Greece exiting the eurozone（“Grexit”）has been extensively discussed. Yet, since the beginning of the sovereign-debt crisis in the EU, Greece maintained that the right approach is to address the root causes of the problem, namely the competitiveness gap between the various eurozone member states. All partners must work together, creditors and debtors, thereby improving the intraeurozone balance of payments.

Greece is an advocate of bridging the gap through balanced growth and support for employment. This will be achieved, according to Greece, by a solid fiscal and financial framework, which is the prerequisite of any future growth and stability. Greece believes that the EU should complement the above progress by intensifying efforts to deliver on the commitments made in the European Council's Compact for Growth and Jobs, including through the European Semester process and the Europe 2020 Strategy, the EU's primary growth tool for the coming decade.