Greece, as the embodiment of reasonable and successful economic reforms, has become the country of the year according to the British magazine The Economist. This was reported by UNN.
Details
The publication admits that today Greece is far from perfect, but emphasizes that it was elected because even "on the verge of collapse" it managed to implement a number of important reforms.
The journalists add that ten years ago, Greece was "crippled by a debt crisis."
The country's revenues plummeted, the social contract disintegrated, and left and right-wing extremist parties were rampant. The government was so desperate that it sought support from China and even sold its main port, Piraeus, to a Chinese firm.
Today, however, despite its shortcomings, the country's strengths are striking. After years of painful restructuring , Greece topped our annual ranking of the world's richest economies in 2023.
Her center-right government was re-elected in June. Its foreign policy is pro-American, pro-European and wary of Russia.
Journalists are convinced that Greece shows that on the verge of collapse, it is possible to carry out tough, sensible economic reforms, restore the social contract, show restrained patriotism, and still win elections.
Addendum
The publication also mentioned many other countries that deserve to be recognized in 2023. They were generally divided into two groups - countries that stood up to autocratic neighbors and states that defended liberal values.
Ukraine fell into the first group - because Ukrainians are bravely fighting against the Russian military machine, despite the hesitation of Western allies to help in the war. Moldova also resisted Russian intimidation, and Finland became part of NATO, with Sweden soon to join the Alliance.
Київ повернувся до рейтингу найдорожчих міст світу: на яку позицію30.11.23, 19:26
In addition, in Asia, countries resisted Chinese influence, often with the support of the United States. In particular, the Philippines defended its maritime borders from Chinese ships.
Even Japan and South Korea have put aside historical disputes and deepened cooperation.
In another group of countries , The Economist included Liberia, which managed to peacefully change the government. East Timor also retained its reputation as a country that respects human rights and a free press.
In addition, it includes Thailand and Turkey, where the opposition persistently tried to overthrow autocratic regimes, but the elections in the countries did not change the political situation.
Recall
Time magazine has named Taylor Swift, an American singer and songwriter, one of the most famous American pop stars of the 2000s, who began her career in the country music industry, as the Person of the Year 2023.
She is also a professional guitarist, actress, director and TV personality. She has won 225 professional awards, including more than 10 Grammy Awards.