Depoliticization and Fragmentation: The Transformation of Greek Civil Society in the Era of Austerity

This paper critically examines the development and transformation of civil society in Greece, particularly in the context of the economic crisis and its aftermath. Drawing on evidence from fifteen years of researching the sector by the author, which concluded in 2015, the article discusses the structural limitations, fragmentation, and evolving relationship between civil society organizations, the state, and market forces. The article highlights how NGOs became increasingly professionalized and co-opted into dominant political and financial frameworks, often at the expense of grassroots autonomy and democratic engagement. By interrogating liberal assumptions about civil society’s role in fostering democracy, the paper challenges conventional narratives and introduces the idea of “soft paternalism” to describe the state's strategic use of the third sector as a mechanism of control.