Coalition Government in Greece: The New Normal?

Coalition government was exceptional in post-authoritarian Greece up until the electoral earthquake of 2012, with single party government being the norm. The recent economic crisis has triggered a significant change in this respect, rendering the occurrence of coalition government much more frequent. This paper examines coalition government in Greece in comparative perspective, covering the period between 1974 and 2018. It presents original quantitative and qualitative data regarding the government coalition cycle (coalition formation, governance and termination), identifying patterns of continuity and change. It addresses key questions such as the degree of institutionalization of coalition governance, the effect of more frequent coalition government on government stability and the likelihood of coalition government becoming an established feature of Greek politics.