Wednesday, March 1: Hellenic Parliament (Foreign and Economic Affairs)

Regarding the refugee crisis, the discussion mainly revolved around the issue of European solidarity concerning potential crisis responses. Article 3 of the Lisbon Treaty, which calls for appropriate measures to be taken to ensure proper immigration and asylum protocols are followed, has not been wholly enforced across the EU due to the reluctance of some governments to accept refugees. The discussion also touched on the economic effects of the migrant crisis and the effectiveness of the EU’s response. The massive inflow of refugees was unexpected and unprecedented, and within months, the four small Greek islands off the coast of Turkey were overwhelmed with refugees. Lesbos, in particular, has seen a decrease in tourism profits of almost 50%, and some hotels have had to be used as overflow housing from the refugee camps. In a nation that is struggling to gain economic traction, any drag on their national tourism industry is significant. The response of the EU’s Frontex Border and Coast Guard agency, while admirable, was understandably delayed given the nature of bureaucracies and the suddenness of the crisis. The delay, however, allowed the influx to overwhelm the Greek isles.

Mr. Mardas also discussed the need for a strong push for Greek economic growth and development as a means to solve the Greek debt problem. He noted that, as an economist, he is bound to be an optimist, and he painted an overall encouraging picture of Greece’s economic future. He explained that Greece’s expenditures pre-crisis were in line with other European countries, but Greece had significant tax collection problems. As those problem areas have been identified and gradually resolved, tax evasion has become less of an issue, and Greece has begun to earn more revenues to manage its debts. Other reasons Mr. Mardas expressed for why optimism in Greece’s recovery is not unfounded include its abundance of human capital, logistically important location straddling Europe and Asia, a political environment that is among the most stable in the region, and the return of foreign investment to Greece. As with the refugee situation, the debt crisis is a common issue for the EU as a whole, and likewise, requires a common solution to resolve it.