Foundation, development and foreign policy of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) in Greece (Andreas Papandreou era)

The subject of this study is the analysis of establishment and development process of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) in Greece and its foreign policy. The study covering the period 1974-1995 of PASOK begins with the party's rise to the political scene and ends with the date when its founder and leader Andreas Papandreou quit the party leadership and left post of Prime Minister. Primarily, all along the study consisting of four sections, the historical context and background have been examined in order to identify and know the historical, cultural and political origins that PASOK came from. Afterwards, the recent historical period and its political characteristics have been examined in detail and the extensions of all these processes affecting the establishment and development of PASOK have been investigated. The main dynamics of the opposition period that brought the party to power in a relatively short period of time have been identified and Andreas Papandreou's decisive role and the elements of the "change" promised to Greek society in all areas have been analyzed. While the actions of the PASOK governments have been examined in every aspect during the three periods of power (1981-1985, 1985-1989, 1993-1995) under Andreas Papandreou's Premiership, the last section of the study is devoted to foreign policy. The main basis of foreign policy and the constraints faced have been discussed; then the elements of continuity and change that it experienced since its establishment have been identified and PASOK's foreign policy performance has been questioned. Following the fall of the seven-year military dictatorship in July 1974, the regime changed in Greece and the country made a transition to parliamentary democracy. On September 3, 1974, Andreas Papandreou announced the founding of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement. The Party which had radical socialist slogans managed to come to the power only seven years after its foundation. PASOK, which was a significant part of the expression of social and political radicalism of the period, advocated a radical change in Greek society based on the idea of national independence, sovereignty of people and social justice. Panhellenic Socialist Movement remained in power during the periods of 1981-1989 and 1993-1995 under the premiership of its founding leader Andreas Papandreou. PASOK became one of the two most important political parties, or even the first, along with New Democracy in the Greek political scene after 1974, when the democracy was restored. The "change" brought into by Andreas Papandreou and PASOK at cultural level as well as political level left its mark in the Greek society both during the second half of the 1970s, when the Party was in opposition, and during the 1980s and first half of the 1990s, when it was in power. Keywords: Greece, PASOK, Andreas Papandreou, Metapolitefsi, Change