“Pol’óid’ alopix, echinos de ín, mega”. (1) Archilochus (680-630 BC)

This verse contrasts the two approaches. Hedgehog, conservative and centralized, takes a unified attitude to any challenge. Fox, chaotic and innovative, explores many possibilities at the same time. Resourceful Odysseus, the symbol of the Greek temperament, corresponds to the fox.

What is the position of modern Greece in this dichotomous difference? In our foreign policy, the strategy is clearly inspired by echinos: “ἓν, mega” knows and follows with obsession, continuity and consistency: international and European law.

Paradoxically, the Alopekian strategy dominates on the opposite side of the Aegean. Turkey invents different tactics from time to time. The list of those who are “untouchables” is long. Variable diplomatic and communication weapons are certainly not as powerful as Greek investment in law, but they explore the weaknesses of any adversary. Successive disputes do not reach the maximum goal, however, in the aggregate, diplomatic and communication interventions are gradually shifting the front of confrontation to the detriment of Greece. There is also the danger that the Turkish initiative will run into, however accidentally or accidentally, some gap in the armor of the horse, as happened in 1974.

Of course, after the invasion of Cyprus, Turkey has no such success to its credit. On the contrary, the accession of Cyprus to the European Union, thanks to the skillful use of European and international rules, is an undeniable Greek conquest.

Which strategy will be effective in the long run, “a lot” or “mega”?

In our foreign policy, the strategy is clearly inspired by echinos: “ἓν, mega” knows and follows with obsession, continuity and consistency: international and European law.

We are going through a period of massive transformation. The international system is destabilizing. Relations between the developed and developing world are being tested by the Ukrainian crisis. Sensitivity to violations of international law has shaken. In Western countries, democracy seems to be under pressure from growing populism. How sustainable will the solidarity and promises of our allies be in the face of this political and geopolitical volatility? The changing geopolitical environment favors Odysseus’ versatility, “alopecism”.

It is not easy to reconstruct a diplomatic formation that, rooted in centuries-old European traditions, has been building up for decades. But today it has become a major issue that is ubiquitous and widely discussed in academic and diplomatic circles – for example, France plans to expand its diplomatic staff into other areas of government.

In such an innovative direction, Greece has advantages. The main field of innovation lies in the close links between the Greek and international space, which are the diaspora and shipping. These two forces of Hellenism are in direct contact with global developments in all fields: technological, economic, political and cultural. Because they operate in a highly competitive environment, far removed from the protectionism and insularity of Greek networks, they have developed a special ability to identify and seize new opportunities. In addition, the influence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the diaspora has a pacifying and unifying effect, in contrast to the exported Greek counterclaims.

There is a structural incompatibility between the logic of the Echinos, that is, the Greek diplomatic tradition, and the Alopekian logic, characteristic of the diaspora, of which shipping can be considered a part. Diaspora is a Galaxy without a “center”, with heterogeneous elements and diverse and multidimensional behavior. Repeated attempts were made to subordinate it to local foreign policy, but without the expected result. SAE and directed response to Macedonian represent learning failures. The only time the Greek diaspora succeeded in effectively strengthening Greek interests was in 1974, during the Cyprus crisis, when the Greek state did not intervene.

A one-sided hedgehog relationship is not enough. It requires universality and versatility – integral components of Hellenism. The transition from Ehineio to Alopekeian perception will benefit diversity, diplomacy in particular, and Hellenism in general.

1. The fox knows a lot, but the hedgehog knows one thing, mega.

* Mr. Giorgos Prevelakis is Professor Emeritus of Geopolitics at the Sorbonne University (Paris 1).