Konstantinos Karamanlis and Leadership in Foreign Policy

In this article I will address a lesser discussed issue in the political career of Konstantinos Karamanlis, his leadership in terms of Greek foreign policy. It is lesser discussed because, in the context of leadership, the extensive literature and commentary on Karamanlis primarily focuses on his role, contribution and legacy in domestic politics during his 14 years as Prime Minister. What is attempted here is a discussion of Karamanlis in the frame of ‘leadership’ in the study of foreign policy, in two specific ways First, there is a consensus that Karamanlis was a ‘leader’ (hgetis) in the domestic context: was he that too in terms of external affairs? Second, there is an assumption in the study of foreign policy/foreign policy analysis that leaders and leadership can matter in the formulation and execution of foreign policy (for example Jervis, 2013). Can we address Karamanlis’s role in Greek foreign policy through this analytical lens? My initial conclusion is yes on both counts: Karamanlis can be discussed in the context of the leader/leadership approach in foreign policy analysis and that he did provide leadership in external affairs - in fact he can be considered to be a statesman in that respect.