ABSTRACT
This chapter explains political shifts along with Greece’s tradition of majoritarianism and the new divides that define Greek politics. It illustrates how the economic crisis led to an earthquake election that permanently altered the political framework and led to coalitions and party competition that reflects significant changes in the Greek political landscape. Greece’s tradition of majoritarianism is also linked to the unbalanced relationship between the executive and the legislature. The legacy of majoritarianism is also reflected in the ways in which the electoral law has frequently been changed by governments for no other reason than to offer electoral advantages to the ruling party in the subsequent elections. Greece does not fully conform to either the institutional or the sociological account of party system formation and durability. The majoritarianism of the Greek system also translated into a public administration culture where party loyalties superseded all other bureaucratic or administrative considerations.
