Explaining Greece by To Vima unpacks the complexities of modern Greece, one story at a time. In every episode, journalists and experts shed light on the country’s most pressing issues, offering deep insight and fresh perspectives. Hosted by Charis Tzanis.
Latest episodes
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25 min
Conflict in the Mideast - The View From Greece
The “sirens of war” again erupted in the Middle East on the last day of February, last month, with the coordinated and large-scale US and Israeli strikes against Iran, followed by…
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25 min
Quo Vadis Greece - A 21st Demographic Crisis
It figures as the most pressing problem facing Greek society today, literally a “double whammy” of a shrinking population intertwined with an increasingly aging one. The demographi…
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25 min
Greece and Israel: A Bridge Over Troubled Waters
One of the most prominent strategic realignments in the east Mediterranean over recent years has been the burgeoning cooperation between Greece and Israel, which both Jerusalem and…
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20 min
Testosterone Treatment in Greece: Pros & Cons
The second edition in 2026 of the podcast “Explaining Greece” shies away from current affairs and the geopolitical situation affecting the east Mediterranean country and, instead,…
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26 min
Insights on 21st Century Athens, and...Antiquity by Brady Kiesling
Noted former US diplomat Brady Kiesling, an archaeologist by training and a historian with a specialty in ancient history and Mediterranean archaeology, and just as importantly, a…
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10 min
Ag Sector Protests Across Greece As Viewed by Young, Female Farmer
Farmers’ and stockbreeders’ mobilizations across Greece have been dominating the political agenda and media attention in the country over the first half of December, with standing…
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24 min
An Energy Hub? LNG Imports, Off-shore Drilling & Power Cables
November witnessed two major energy-related agreements finalized and signed in Athens, with the first foreseeing the import of American LNG to at least a couple of terminals in Gre…
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20 min
The Incomparable Dionysis Savvopoulos: 1944-2025
One of post-war Greece’s best known and beloved music makers, Dionysis Savvopoulos, passed away last month (October 2025) at the age of 81, leaving behind a musical and cultural le…
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20 min
Ban on Protests in Front of Tomb of Unknown Soldier Sparks Political Row
A political “tempest in a teapot”, a mere diversion from other, more pressing issues, a necessary move to better protect a revered site for Hellenism, or, a “discount” on freedom o…
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21 min
Electricity and ‘Green Transition’: Is Greece's Future Nuclear?
Greece will need to at least triple its power production capacity - today at roughly 50 TWh - by 2050 and produce cheaper electricity, according to Purdue professor of nuclear engi…
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24 min
The Classic Grecian Street Food: Souvlaki
For hundreds of millions of people from around the world that have visited Greece over the past decades one thing that more-or-less comes to mind when recalling their “food experie…
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31 min
Two views on ‘overtourism’, STRs and … trendy Grecian holidays
By all accounts, 2025 will be another banner year for Greece’s all-important tourism and holiday industry, a sector that attracts tens of millions of people from around the world e…
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23 min
How Dominant is Orthodox Christianity in Modern Greek Society; What’s the Faith’s Relationship with the Faithf…
In the latest episode of “Explaining Greece”, we speak with Effie Foka, a senior fellow at the Athens-based Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), as well as…
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30 min
Why is Athens irked over a Turkey-Libya deal to draw maritime zones in the Med?
In this week’s episode of “Explaining Greece”, we speak with Maria Gavouneli, a professor of International Law at the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, and the director…
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27 min
From COP30 to Greek Kilowatts: A Climate Reality Check
This episode of Explaining Greece takes listeners on a journey from high-stakes international climate negotiations to the everyday forces driving up electricity prices in Greece—of…
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25 min
The Existential Threat to Mt. Sinai Monastery
In this episode, we speak with Archimandrite Fr. Porphyrios Frangakis, the venerable Sinai Monastery’s spokesman in Greece, as well as Dr. Ronald Meinardus, a journalist, political…
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28 min
Breaking Down the ReArm Initiative and Last Week’s SAFE Regulation; Greece’s Concerns Clarified
In this episode, we speak with Prof. Spyros Blavoukos, a professor of international and European economic studies at the Athens University of Economics and Business. Prof. Blavouko…
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20 min
Exhibiting the Every Day of the African Diaspora in Greece
On display at the Benaki Museum until May 25, Africa Amongst Us is a multi-medium exhibition showcasing archival objects from Nigeria, Cameroon, and Kenya, alongside stories, artif…
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20 min
Photographing Athens' Favorite Flea Market
Whatever you are shopping for, you can likely find it at Eleonas Flea Market-- bed frames, motorcycle parts, hiking boots, silver earrings, canned fish, posters from the 2004 Olymp…
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22 min
The Legal History of Surrogacy
Surrogacy has been legal in Greece for two decades. But surrogate pregnancies, the protections for surrogates, and the access to surrogacy have been all over Greek headlines as of…