The political economy of the Greek health sector and the implications of the economic crisis

Abstract

The manifestation of the world economic crisis at 2007 and its consequences have brought the European economy and, more specifically, the Greek economy in front of new challenges for adjustment to the new era. In 2010, Greece adopted a fiscal adjustment programme in order to fix the fiscal weaknesses of its economy. This fiscal adjustment programme was completed on 20 August 2018, eight years after its adoption. Adopting the fiscal consolidation process had certain implications for specific sectors of the Greek economy. For this reason, the aim of this article is to examine the political economy of the health sector in Greece, and the implications of the economic crisis. The health sector is crucial for the productive capabilities of a national economy. The study of the health sector of Greece after the adoption of the fiscal adjustment programme is going to reveal the extent to which it is capable of confronting public health challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis focuses on the economic effects of the economic crisis on the health sector and the prospects of the Greek economy’s productive capabilities.