Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Vouli ton
Ellinon (300 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to
serve four-year terms)
elections: elections last held 22 September 1996 (next to be held by
NA September 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - PASOK 41.5%, ND 38.1%,
KKE 5.6%, Coalition of the Left and Progress 5.1%, DIKKI 4.4%,
Political Spring 2.9%; seats by party - PASOK 162, ND 108, KKE 11,
Coalition of the Left and Progress 10, DIKKI 9
Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court, judges appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council; Special Supreme Tribunal, judges appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council
Political parties and leaders: New Democracy or ND (conservative)
[Konstandinos KARAMANLIS]; Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK
[Konstandinos SIMITIS]; Communist Party or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA];
Political Spring [Andonios SAMARAS]; Coalition of the Left and
Progress (Synaspismos) [Nikolaos KONSTANDOPOULOS]; Democratic Social
Movement or DIKKI [Dhimitrios TSOVOLAS]; Rainbow Coalition [Pavlos
VOSKOPOULOS]
International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, BSEC,
CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM
(guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UPU, WEU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Loukas TSILAS chancery : 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5800 FAX: [1] (202) 939-5824 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco consulate(s) : Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas M. T. NILES embassy: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Boulevard, 10160 Athens mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842 telephone: [30] (1) 721-2951, 8401 FAX: [30] (1) 645-6282 consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki
Flag description: nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country
Economy
Economy - overview: Greece has a mixed capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for roughly half of GDP. Tourism is a major source of foreign exchange, and agriculture is self-sufficient, except for meat, dairy products, and animal feedstuffs. Macroeconomic problems include mediocre GDP growth, the huge public sector, substantial budget deficits, and 10% unemployment. The government's hard drachma policy and public sector wage restraint are largely responsible for the downward trend in inflation, now at the lowest level in 22 years. Investment is likely to be the primary engine for economic growth in 1997. Athens continues to rely heavily on EU aid, which currently amounts to about 4% of GDP. Despite widespread protests from unions and farmers, Prime Minister SIMITIS presented a tough 1997 budget to help bring Greece closer to meeting the EU criteria for participating in economic and monetary union. SIMITIS faces strong opposition to further privatization and further austerity. Plans to increase defense spending could undermine SIMITIS's goal to curb government expenditures.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $106.9 billion (1996 est.)