A Tale of Two Referenda: The Greek Plebiscite of 1946 and the Referendum of July 2015

This paper compares two periods of crisis in Greece separated by 70
years, the crisis surrounding the national elections and the plebiscite
on the return of the Greek monarchy in 1946, and the referendum on
the terms contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
of July 2015, and the international involvement in and reaction to
these referenda. The inspirations for the paper, were the ways in which
external forces attempted to direct their outcome, and the similarities
in the ways in which in both periods, external forces attempted to
frame the definition of the referenda in favour of their wider strategic
objectives. The pressure placed on the Greek government, both from
within Greece and from without, was also noteworthy, as was the
rhetoric that was used both during and after both events. The paper
concludes that in these two cases, rather than providing resolution to
an issue, the referenda served mainly as a vehicle of protest, extremely
susceptible to manipulation, leading to a situation worse than that
which had preceded them.