A development index for the Greek regions.

There has been a growing consensus in recent years that development is a multidimensional concept that embodies the enhancement of several aspects of human life and, as a result, it is too complex to be captured by single indices. Composite Indicators have increasingly been recognised as useful tools in the measurement of this concept. In the absence of rigorous and comprehensive empirical studies in Greece on this topic, the paper assesses and reveals the developmental transformations of the regional economies at NUTS 2 and 3 levels in the period 1991-2011. In this way, this study provides a more comprehensive and integrative perspective of regional development in Greece presenting empirical evidence not only from a country with large and persistent regional inequalities but also from a cohesion country of the European Union for which regional policy has been of critical importance in the last decades. Moreover, the study adds to the literature shedding light on an under-researched topic; the importance of spatial heterogeneity in the construction of Composite Indicators. The results reveal a heterogeneous regional pattern of development for the Greek case. The findings can be used by policymakers as a way to better understand and improve the regional development process.

Territorial Cohesion as a Policy Narrative: From Economic Competitiveness to 'Smart' Growth and Beyond

During the last two decades, a lot of ink has been spent in favour of narrative analysis of policy. According to such approaches, policy processes are influenced by narratives that are spread around specific 'issues' and lead to their solutions. Following a similar vein, this article examines territorial cohesion as a policy narrative and how it can be perceived as a narrative constituted by a diverse narrative structure. Territorial cohesion is a dynamic narrative that changes through time. As time goes by and different politico-economic philosophies get more influential, technological changes also bring along different priorities, broader EU narratives change, and territorial cohesion adapts to such changes. Accordingly, within the post-2014 framework (2014-2020), territorial cohesion's (spatialised) social inclusion perspective was subdued to the economic competitiveness sub-narrative in a globalised world. For the new programming period (2021-2027), the European Cohesion Policy will continue to be increasingly linked to the place-based narrative and most of its funding will be directed towards a 'smarter' and 'greener' Europe within a global space of flows and fast technological changes. The aim of a 'smarter' Europe based on digital transformation and smart growth is a new version of the economic competitiveness sub-narrative, while a 'greener' Europe is the new policy meta-imperative ("European Green Deal"). However, it must be considered how the Coronavirus crisis and the measures to fight its economic effects play out on these policy narratives.

Territorial Cohesion as a Policy Narrative: From Economic Competitiveness to ‘Smart’ Growth and Beyond

During the last two decades, a lot of ink has been spent in favour of narrative analysis of policy. According to such approaches, policy processes are influenced by narratives that are spread around specific ‘issues’ and lead to their solutions. Following a similar vein, this article examines territorial cohesion as a policy narrative and how it can be perceived as a narrative constituted by a diverse narrative structure. Territorial cohesion is a dynamic narrative that changes through time. As time goes by and different politico-economic philosophies get more influential, technological changes also bring along different priorities, broader EU narratives change, and territorial cohesion adapts to such changes. Accordingly, within the post-2014 framework (2014–2020), territorial cohesion’s (spatialised) social inclusion perspective was subdued to the economic competitiveness sub-narrative in a globalised world. For the new programming period (2021–2027), the European Cohesion Policy will continue to be increasingly linked to the place-based narrative and most of its funding will be directed towards a ‘smarter’ and ‘greener’ Europe within a global space of flows and fast technological changes. The aim of a ‘smarter’ Europe based on digital transformation and smart growth is a new version of the economic competitiveness sub-narrative, while a ‘greener’ Europe is the new policy meta-imperative (“European Green Deal”). However, it must be considered how the Coronavirus crisis and the measures to fight its economic effects play out on these policy narratives.