Κριτικά Σημειώματα "Δρ Ελένη Αν. Kαββαδία: ΤΟ ΕΙΔΙΚΟ ΚΑΘΕΣΤΩΣ ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΚΩΝ ΔΡΑΣΤΗΡΙΟΤΗΤΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΥ ΚΡΑΤΟΥΣ ΩΣ ΜΕΛΟΥΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΥΡΩΠΑΪΚΗΣ ΈΝΩΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΛΛΗΝΩΝ ΥΠΗΚΟΩΝ ΣΕ ΧΩΡΕΣ ΤΩΝ ΒΑΛΚΑΝΙΩΝ:ΘΕΩΡΗΤΙΚΕΣ ΠΡΟΣΕΓΓΙΣΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΜΠΕΙΡΙΚΟΙ ΠΡΟΣΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΣΜΟΙ"

During the two decades from 1990 to 2010, the Balkans was the only European region to suffer a cruel reversal. On the one hand, it welcomed the transition to a free economy, despite the difficulties it had to overcome. On the other hand, it experienced the merciless reality of war, when it was convulsed by successive waves of various armed confrontations extending over most of its territory. These left severe and far-reaching post-conflict symptoms: a shattered economic and social base; unemployment and poverty bordering on humanitarian crisis; morale broken, infrastructure in ruins. Yet at the same time this fragmented, conflict-ridden region became the theatre of international collaboration of unprecedented quality and scale. With more than 22 donor/sponsor countries and investors, as well as international and multilateral organisations, the total flow of official development assistance and foreign direct investment in the region is estimated at more than 150 billion euro during the period in question. The region is therefore a model of reorganisation, restructuring and economic development.
As an integral part of this broader geopolitical and economic scene, Greece is participating economically, in common with other ‘players’, in the ‘rebirth’ and integration of the region into the international community, both directly, by providing official development assistance (ODA) under the Hellenic Plan for the Economic Reconstruction of the Balkans (HPERB), and indirectly, by promoting Greece’s foreign direct investment (FDI) in the region in a variety of ways, mainly through subsidies. Thus, Greece evolved from a long-term ‘net importer’ of investments into an ‘exporter’ focused on the Balkans, where it ranked among the top sources of ODA and FDI.
This study approaches the subject holistically, examining the dual nature of Greece’s involvement and analysing the broader economic and geopolitical setting. The dual economic involvement of the Greek State in the Balkans is also examined from a dual perspective within the scope of this doctoral thesis, both from a theoretical and from an empirical point of view, using business strategy models such as PEST, SWOT, VRIO, Porter models of ‘competitive forces’, and the ‘value chain’.
This thesis examines the reasons why Greece’s involvement was inevitable; investigates the compatibility between Greece’s involvement and the country’s other commitments within the EU; studies the advisability and usefulness of the endeavour; compares Greece with other countries as a provider of ODA and FDI; analyses and evaluates the HPERB; assesses the role of the Greek State and any encouragement and guidance of FDI through Greek subsidies; and scrutinises the characteristics of Greek FDI, in terms of competitiveness and the links with the parent companies in Greece.
This subject is novel in an academic context, because a survey of the References shows that this combined dual line of inquiry has not attracted scientific attention, as the existing studies focus on one or other of the two aspects, not both together. Furthermore, this paper is original in terms of method, firstly because it examines the subject from a new viewpoint, that of business strategy, and secondly because it uses the relevant models in new ways, with new applications. The subject, through the study of what has been achieved, remains ‘topical’ and retains its significance, as guidance to future policy makers and/or investors, especially during the current unfavourable economic situation in Greece, because, apart from any conclusions regarding the impact of Greek economic involvement in the Balkans, foreign markets represent a way out of the Greek recession.