Has Greece really recovered from the crisis?

Greece has come a long way since the dark days of 2015, but has it fully recovered? In this episode of The Agora, Nick Malkoutzis speaks with Peter Sanfey and Dimitris Sourvanos, authors of the new Hellenic Observatory paper Out of the Abyss, to unpack Greece’s decade‑long journey from crisis to stability. Peter Sanfey is the Deputy Director for Country Economics, Strategy and Policy at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Dimitris Sourvanos is a Principal Political Counsellor at the EBRD. Drawing on their “10×10” benchmarking of Greece’s performance across ten socioeconomic dimensions, the discussion explores where the country has made real progress, and where deep structural gaps remain. From happiness and household confidence to governance, education, financial resilience, digitalisation and the green transition, this conversation goes beyond headline GDP figures to examine the lived reality of recovery. Is Greece converging with Europe? Why are businesses optimistic while households remain cautious? And what reforms will matter most in the decade ahead? A data‑rich, nuanced look at Greece’s post‑crisis trajectory, and what comes next. Useful reading Out of the abyss: has Greece fully recovered from the crisis? Sanfey, P. & Sourvanos, D. (2026). (GreeSE Papers 220). Hellenic Observatory, London School of Economics and Political Science.