12. Local State-Society Relations in Greece

The Greek case of local networks includes an analysis of municipal advisory committees, councils for the integration of migrants and refugees, school committees, and local development agencies. These networks can be seen as typical for local state-society relations in Greece, representing variance along the three suggested analytical dimensions of autonomy, group coherence, and relevance in local policy-making. Beyond the description of the main features of each network (general framework, mandate, and structure), they are evaluated according to the suggested typology in this volume. We argue that these networks constitute incomplete institutionalization processes, which mobilize local potential, but they also hit upon significant resistance from traditional mechanisms of hierarchical, fragmented, clientelist state-society relations. The analysis and assessment of the networks present evidence of self-reflective, delegated, and collaborative networks.