With George A. Papandreou
The Wheeler Institute is pleased to host George A. Papandreou, former Prime Minister of Greece, for a timely conversation on Europe, Greece, Geopolitics, and the Global Economic Landscape.
George Papandreou brings a rare combination of experience across political leadership, European integration, and international diplomacy. He served as Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic for two turbulent years, during which he negotiated the economic adjustment program, dealt with the unfolding of the crisis, and helped establish European crisis resolution mechanisms. He has also spent five years as Minister of Foreign Affairs, playing a key role during Greece’s EU Presidency in 2003 and in the process leading to EU enlargement in 2004. These experiences give him a distinctive perspective on how European institutions interact with global political and economic forces.
Beyond Europe, Papandreou has long been engaged with international politics and global governance. As President of the Socialist International, he has worked closely with political leaders and policymakers across regions, with a strong focus on democratic resilience, social cohesion and international cooperation. Alongside this, his continued involvement in academic and policy-oriented research reflects a commitment to grounding political leadership in evidence, analysis and long-term thinking.
This event will explore how current geopolitical shifts are reshaping Europe’s role in the world, the implications for business and economic policymaking, and the implications for advanced economies and emerging markets. The discussion will consider how global political fragmentation, changing power relations, and pressures on democratic institutions are affecting pathways to growth, development, and international collaboration.
The conversation will be of interest to those working at the intersection of business, development, and public policy, those focusing on Greece, the Balkans, and the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as anyone seeking to better understand how geopolitical change is influencing economic opportunities and challenges across regions.
This event will be moderated by Elias Papaioannou, Professor of Economics, Alex Knaster Chair in Economics at London Business School and Co-Academic Director of the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development.
Date and time: Thursday 15th January at 18.15 GMT
Location: LT17, Sammy Ofer Centre, London Business School
Speaker
George A. Papandreou is a former Prime Minister of Greece and a senior international political leader with a distinguished record in public service and diplomacy. He previously served for several years as Minister of Foreign Affairs, including during Greece’s EU Presidency in 2003 and the period leading up to EU enlargement in 2004. In addition to his political career, he has been a fellow at Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs and the Institute of Politics and has lectured at institutions such as Columbia University’s SIPA and Sciences Po. He currently serves as President Emeritus of the Socialist International and President of the Commission for Democracy of the Council of Europe, engaging with leaders and organisations globally on governance, development and democratic cooperation, and remains active in academic and policy discussions on global governance, economic transformation and development, with particular attention to emerging and developing economies.
Moderator
Elias Papaioannou is Professor of Economics, Alex Knaster Chair in Economics at London Business School and Co-Academic Director of the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development. His research focuses on international finance, political economy, economic history, growth, and development, with work published in leading journals such as Econometrica, Review of Economic Studies, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Journal of Political Economy, American Economic Review, and Journal of Finance. He is also a CEPR Research Fellow, Managing Co-Editor of the Review of Economic Studies and Fellow of the British Academy. In the 2019/2020 academic year, Elias held the Varian Visiting Professorship of Economics at the MIT Department of Economics.