Having spent her life over the last 40 years between Paris and Athens, the period which saw the development of the idea of a united Europe, historian Eleni Glykatzi-Ahrweiler puts into perspective Greece’s twofold identity, as a European and a Balkan state. In the face of Europe’s gloomly economic environment and the nine-month-long civil war in Bosnia, her remarks inspire confidence and hope.
Mrs Ahrweiler was born in Athens in 1926. But it was in Paris that she established a reputation for making a distinguished academic and cultural contribution. She is Professor at the Sorbonne and President of the University of Europe. She is also Director of the French Centre of Art and Culture of Georges Pompidou and the Vice-President of the Daniele Mitterrand Foundation.
It is probably her strong links with and her prestige within the cultural scene in Paris that prompts her to declare, “I am French,” But she has never denied “I have Greek roots.” It is also because of her academic titles that Greeks think of her as ‘their voice abroad’ and unceasingly invite her to Athens to lecture at conferences and seminars on issues relating to the Greek history.
The Athenian: Each time you come back to Greece what are your impressions and feelings?
Mrs Ahrweiler: Greece is the place where I rediscover the essence. It is the source of the essentials in life and of the crux of life. But this is on a personal level. When I come back I always meet people who worry about the country’s national issues and its image abroad.
The Athenian: What exactly is the picture other European people have of Greece?
Mrs Ahrweiler: To the rest of Europe, Greece’s fears that the rise of ethnic rivalries in the Balkans is a potential threat to the country appear unjustified. Greece is a European Community country. More importantly, it is the birthplace of the European spirit. It is also the only fully democratic and, technologically speaking, the most developed Balkan state.
The Athenian: Would you say that the fears of Greece, and therefore its claims over the name of the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia are irrational?
Mrs Ahrweiler: Europeans feel that Greece’s fears are not justifiable. To them it seems absurd that Greece, a fully fledged European state, worries about a bunch of boy scouts who draw false maps. To the rest of Europe, Greece should not be afraid of the Skopjians.
The Athenian: The Greek spirit gave birth to the European one. But where can we trace today the force that brings Europe together and will ultimately create a single European identity?
Mrs Ahrweiler: Common economic interest. History has very rarely seen wars among people who share common interests. On the contrary, humankind has seen wars among people of the same cultural background. Primarily it is economic interests that bring states together. No doubt there are also other factors that bring Europe together. Europe can be seen as having a single library, a single cinematheque, a single musical repertoire. Participants of this pan-European culture are placed within a wider spiritual framework which goes beyond the limits of a state or a nationality.
The Athenian: Is Greece participating in this Pan-European spiritual framework?
Mrs Ahrweiler: If not, why did it become a member of the European Community in the first place? If you take the words philosophy, democracy, mathematics, they are all Greek.
The Athenian: This is in the past. What about today? Is Greece currently contributing to the creation of Europe’s modern civilization?
Mrs Ahrweiler: This question prompts me to stress: the past has never guaranteed the future of a state. The past can never solve problems of the future. This is what Greeks should have in mind.
The Athenian: Do Greeks participate in the formation of a pan-European culture?
Mrs Ahrweiler: Of course they do. Take for example the Greek surrealists. They are considered to be part of European culture. There is no doubt about it.
The Athenian: Since the past cannot by itself shape the future, what should Greece place on the platform of a united Europe?
Mrs Ahrweiler: Its future. Greece should become Europe’s gate to the Balkans and to the East. Its future role is to Europeanize and democratize the rest of the Balkans. This is possible by means of its economic and cultural potential. There are Greeks who could pave the way for the country to play this role.
The Athenian: Do you think that other European people understand Greece? Do they share a thorough knowledge of the country?
Mrs Ahrweiler: To get to know a country one has to speak its language. This is the way to understand its peo¬ple, its culture and its passion. European children are offered the possibility of getting to know Greece. Ancient Greek is taught at high schools in Paris. It is Greek children who do not bother to learn ancient or modern Greek properly. Besides, the Hellenic spirit is part of what we call Europe today. The most important elements upon which Europe has been built are Athens, Rome and Jerusalem. The ancient Greek spirit, Roman law and Christianity are the foundations of the European civilization. If you take Greece out of it, you end up with something other than Europe.
The Athenian: Can we trace a close cultural relation between Greece as it is today and Europe?
Mrs Ahrweiler: Do you question Greece’s current attachment to the European civilization? If you do, then this means that Greek people have dismissed their own past. This, in turn, marks the beginning of cultural decay. Being attached to your roots and your past means that you are a well-developed human being. The past cannot solve problems of the future, but it definitely provides a people with stable foundations for further action. People need their past. They have to catch the train of history right at departure, not somewhere along its itinerary. What gives the impression today that Greeks are cut off from their past is the fact that Greece has a long history. This means that each Greek can trace his or her past by looking back into various historical periods. One can trace back one’s roots to Alexander the Great, another to the Byzantine period. It is Greece’s historical peculiarity.
The Athenian: Is this explanation capable of scaring away the impression that Greece appears cut off from its European partners?
Mrs Ahrweiler: To answer this question we should take a look at history. Due to its geographical position Greece has always been at the crossroads of two civilizations: the Eastern and the Western. On one hand the spirit coming from the East has been viewed as a potential threat to the integrity of Greek culture, that was represented by the Persian wars in ancient times and the long-lasting Ottoman rule in more recent years. On the other hand because of the Ottoman rule Greece did not have the time to catch up with the West, which during that period gave birth to Renaissance. Therefore, Greeks missed the chance to experience, both spiritually and psychologically, recent developments in Western civilization, the way other European nations did. Due to this historical reality Greeks have always questioned their identity: are we the corner-stone of the West and a gate to the East or vice versa?
The only alternative by which Greeks can feel at peace is Christianity. It makes them share a feeling of belonging to the world as a whole. Christianity is universal. But the Orthodox-Catholic schism has prompted yet another spiritual conflict for the Greeks. Caught between East and West, and not belonging to either, Greece has turned towards the Balkans to join other nations on the principle of solidarity: the Slavs. But because of the ethnic problems dividing the region, Greece has been, historically speaking, left on its own. This is why I believe that Europe of the Twelve provides today the only alternative for Greece to find friends and establish a common identity. Given the respect Europeans share for the Greek spirit, Europe represents for Greece a secure institutional framework to participate in the economic, scientific and cultural development of this part of the world.
The Athenian: Is this possible?
Mrs Ahrweiler: Why not? Why is it possible for Portugal? Greece should overcome its syndrome of instability and disequilibrium. If Greeks pay respect to their past and face the future with responsibility, they can make it.
The Athenian: Has this been understood by Greek society? Is there today a homogeneous Greek society?
Mrs Ahrweiler: If there is, it doesn’t only include Athenian society. There is, no doubt, a widespread tendency in Greece today to identify the country with Athens. But we risk here missing the forest by focusing on the tree. Greek society is fragmented and Athens is seen as its only well-organized part.
The Athenian: What has prompted this fragmentation?
Mrs Ahrweiler: Historical, geographical and economic reasons. But most importantly the lack of a fully developed institutional framework – which is typical of western states – that would support solidarity among various social strata, generate responsibility over national interests and boost respect for the individual as member of a united society. Even though Greece is a democratic country, it lacks the so-called res publica, awareness of the common good.
The Athenian: Does this make it more difficult for Greece to set and defend its interests in Europe?
Mrs Ahrweiler: The opposite. Take, for example, Spain. The Basques, Catalans and Castillians enter the community as people supporting and defending their own ethnic personality and regional interests. This is an alternative that might enable Greeks to determine their own identity by retracing their regional traits and virtues. Ultimately, it might also lead Greece to trace back its pan-Hellenic qualities. What is the Greek character today? What definition could shed light on the qualities that make Greece today? Can we talk about Hellas today? I wish I had the chance to find the right answer.
