Social policies and solidarity during the Greek Crisis

This article provides a succinct overview of the phenomenon of solidarization in crisis-ridden Greece. Brief accounts of the pre- and post-crisis situation in four core social policy areas (health, employment, housing, education) are combined with the presentation of four illustrative case studies, one for each of the aforementioned areas. Drawing on a broad range of primary and secondary data, including 20 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and end-users of the actions examined, we argue that while the crisis provoked a further "residualization" of the institutionalized solidarity system, it also triggered the development of new solidarity ventures, both by state and non-state actors, often even including partnerships between them. These ventures reflect the building of a bridge between institutionalized and informal solidarity in Greece and the shift towards a new type of mixed, although fragmented, mode of solidarity.