President's Greeting

Dear Members and Reader Friends

Developments not only in our region, but worldwide are changing at a rapid pace and often in a dramatic way. Greece, we would say, is at the epicenter of international developments, while at the same time facing a huge threat, which poses a risk not only of losing its national sovereign rights, but even of our national survival as an independent national entity.

The developments from the failed geostrategic choice and implementation of the so-called "Arab Spring", which began in the second decade of the 21st century^th century, from the USA to North Africa and the Middle East, which surround the Eastern Mediterranean and it was no coincidence, were dramatic and absolutely destructive for many countries, such as Libya and especially Syria. The geostrategic pursuits, together with the energy plans of the powerful and authoritarian world powers, created a conflict environment, particularly fragile and very dangerous. In combination with the hegemonic prospects of states in the region, which have either huge energy reserves or strong armed forces, they compose a particularly explosive mixture, waiting for the detonator to explode.

The world around us is changing dynamically. International competition is also highlighting new poles of power, beyond the USA, whose existing primacy is threatened, primarily by China and secondarily by Russia. The decreasing lack of energy and food resources, combined with the global population explosion and major ecological changes, do not predict an optimistic future and require more than ever maturity and proactive planning. We are experiencing a period of significant developments both in the wider area of ​​our national interest and within our country. In these ongoing developments that directly or indirectly concern our future, Greece presents a weak to non-existent participation, due to its economic situation, but mainly due to the long-standing lack of a National Strategy for all of our national issues.

A country without National Goals and a National Strategy resembles a ship that, even in favorable times, travels endlessly since it does not know its destination.
Indicatively, major external issues affecting our country are the ongoing changes in the European Union (EU) and its future, but most importantly, Turkey's insinuation against the country and Hellenism in general. Turkey, having embraced the nationalist theory of Lebensraum (Living Space) of the 19^th century, which was adopted and implemented by the Nazis, in combination with Mustafa Kemal's legacy of the National Oath (Misaak I Mili) and the new nationalist theory of the Blue Homeland (Mavi Vatan), it has become an aggressive, revisionist country, a country of international unrest, a pirate country, which by military coercion seeks to revise the Treaty of Lausanne, to draw new borders and to seize territories and wealth-producing sources basically of Hellenism (Greece and Cyprus). Now let us also take into account the redemptive tendencies of our northern neighbors, the Cyprus issue, the effects of the drastic developments in the Middle East and North Africa. Africa, transatlantic relations, energy changes in the region, etc. Correspondingly, indicative issues within our country, which have limited our national sovereignty and constitute existential threats or challenges for the future, are the country's economy, immigration in combination with Islam and our demographic problem, Turkey's multifaceted penetration mainly in sensitive border areas, the maintenance of the country's deterrent military power, major social cohesion problems (unemployment, poverty, justice), the management of underwater hydrocarbon deposits, political polarization, the deficit in values, standards and culture, etc.

The system of power, judged by its results, eroded and inadequate (even tolerance towards the guilty implies complicity), has never proceeded to decisive self-purification. The self-evident reforms, structural changes, the fight against corruption and the consistent implementation of the laws of the state, which, although in crisis, are unfolding timidly and slowly, under the threat of the troika, prove the truth of the argument.

The Greek citizen feels betrayed and trapped. His great challenge is to transcend himself on the path to political maturity, which includes standards, values ​​and social solidarity, while rejecting selfishness and dealing with the system of power. If this transcendence is not achieved, the vicious circle of national misery will continue.

The Hellenic Institute for Strategic Studies (EL.I.S.M.E.) is composed of members who offer voluntary work, guided by our National Interests, through the website, the magazine “PROBLIMATISMOI” and a series of events that it organizes (lectures, workshops, conferences, etc.). The Institute maintains an independent voice, since it does not maintain ties with any political party and is not funded by any domestic or foreign body, based on the subscriptions of its members. The purpose of the Institute is to provide advisory assistance to national decision-making centers but mainly to inform and awaken public opinion on all issues of national interest. It is the Institute's belief that changes in societies imposed from above are doomed to failure, in contrast to changes that are claimed and founded by societies themselves.

In this effort, we call on every Greek citizen to transform their passive anxiety for the future of their family and the country into support for our Institute, which may range from their annual financial contribution as a member (€50, which includes the free shipping of the magazine and an invitation to each of our events), to their voluntary active participation, depending on their specialized experience and skills. The support of the Institute's independent voice by our fellow citizens is our conscious choice, while its strengthening is a counterweight to the one-dimensional influence of public opinion by wealthy "proxy" entities.

Since the time of Thucydides, states have acted in accordance with their National Interests. It is our duty to understand that states are not divided into “philhellene” and “anti-hellene” and do not necessarily work out conspiratorial plans against our country. On the contrary, the entire planet knows and honors our country as a cultural and natural treasure. It is up to us, the future Greeks, with self-confidence and self-awareness, to fill our gaps and prove that we are rightfully the custodians and the continuation of this treasure. And to achieve this, we must finally abandon the ethnocidal policy of appeasement, which has brought the homeland to the situation we are in today, and choose a new national strategy of deterrence and containment of the threats surrounding Greece, where military power will be the dominant component. This is how we can have a future, otherwise the homeland will become a Turkish protectorate, with all that this entails.

Ioannis Ath. Baltzoi

Antgos (ret.), M.Sc in Geopolitics

President of ELISME