A medium country’s middle-of-the-road success: The 2003 Greek presidency of the European Union

Article abstract:

The Greek Presidency of the first semester of 2003 was the fourth following its predecessors in 1983, 1988 and 1994. Representative of the slowly incremental improvement in the political climate surrounding Greece's relations with the EU, the three previous presidencies were broadly viewed as ranging from failed (1983) to mediocre (1988 and 1994). In contrast, again reflecting Greece's greatly improved standing in the EU, the 2003 Presidency was widely viewed as a success.