There is a buzz about Greece these days. The country has undergone a profound transformation and has left the agonizing years of financial turmoil behind it. From the crisis, Greece has become a success story. So, it’s time to craft a new narrative to tell that story: the country should cultivate a new nation brand.
In the last few years, Greece has emerged as a regional power and an economic hub in Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. Recently, the country was elected to a two-year term on the UN Security Council and was called upon to lead a European Union naval force in the Red Sea.
With wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, Greece has also become a staging point for the Western alliance in the region. With a multi-billion euro defence modernisation program underway, Greece’s armed forces are acquiring a capacity to project power in the wider area.
With a multi-billion euro defence modernisation program underway, Greece’s armed forces are acquiring a capacity to project power in the wider area.
Economically, Greece is now one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe. It has regained its investment-grade status and has become one of Europe’s top investment destinations.
It is becoming an energy hub for Southeast Europe and, for the first time, an energy exporter. Investments in technology are turning Greece into a digital hub, with more data centres and telecommunications links than anywhere else in the region. The Port of Piraeus is now the busiest in the Mediterranean and among Europe’s Top five container ports, cementing Greece’s status as a shipping and logistics hub.
Economically, Greece is now one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe. It has regained its investment-grade status and has become one of Europe’s top investment destinations.
Meanwhile, Athens is acquiring a new cosmopolitanism. The country’s popularity among international visitors and high-net-worth individuals is growing, and Greece is increasingly seen as a safe-haven for the citizens of neighbouring Eastern Mediterranean countries.
A country that commands positive impressions abroad may also exercise greater influence in its foreign policy – what international relations experts describe as soft power. While there have been previous attempts to develop Greece’s national brand, they were both fitful and ultimately unproductive. The fact is that perceptions of a country change slowly and tend to be rooted in stereotypes conveyed in the media and popular culture. This means that any nation-branding effort by Greece must be authentic and sustained – not random and piecemeal as in the past. It also needs to be coordinated by a competent body, such as the national investment and trade promotion agency Enterprise Greece.
International perceptions of Greece have been changing. Compared with 15 years ago when it received no mention at all, Greece now regularly ranks among the Top 25 nation brands in the world, according to the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index.
However, the ranking does not fully reflect all of Greece’s qualities, let alone its transformation. Long regarded as a desirable tourist destination – one of the criteria used – the index shows Greece in a positive light. Other qualities, such as Greece’s improved governance, innovation trends, exports and quality of human resources, have not been fully registered in international perceptions.
It’s why an effort needs to be made: Greece has a good story to tell and a new Greece is being created. It’s an effort that will pay dividends and where the millions of diaspora Greeks – from Australia to North America – can play an important role. Because, the Greeks overseas are the country’s ambassadors abroad, and they can help create a new national narrative for the country.
*Alkman Granitsas is a communications consultant. He previously served as a foreign correspondent for various international media in the US, Asia and Europe.