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Updated: March 18, 2025 @ 8:29 am
A view of the water and a mountain in Poros, Greece.
A bench and lamp post through a window in Poros, Greece.
A bench and a lamp post sit on a bank in Poros, Greece.
A view of the water and a mountain in Poros, Greece.
After being in Greece for one month, I’ve learned about the political climate, culture and how Greeks view American democracy and politics.
While enjoying a nice dinner with friends on the coast in Nafplio, a woman approached us, recognizing our foreign accents. She asked where we were from, and we said the United States, particularly, the Philadelphia area.
Immediately after hearing we were from the U.S., she asked how we were coping with the “orange man” — her words exactly — being back in office.
She started explaining how she’s Greek but grew up in England, going into detail about how she believes British politicians are focused on serving themselves and catering only to the wealthy, and how this is the political climate she’s used to.
We discussed American politics, and she clearly stated how she’s horrified by Trump’s new policies, specifically the firing of about 400 Federal Aviation Administration employees.
A bench and lamp post through a window in Poros, Greece.
As the conversation came to a close, the woman was most interested in how we, as Americans, feel about the Trump administration and how rapidly our government is changing with right-wing policies being put into place.
It was fascinating to hear a European perspective on U.S. politics, and this interaction has stuck with me since. But it’s not the only interaction I’ve had.
While exploring the town of Sparta, the students in my program and I entered a mosaic shop and interacted with the store owner, a woman from Canada. She explained how she grew up in Canada and moved to Greece to open her small businesses in recent years.
Once hearing we were American students studying abroad in Athens, she immediately began showcasing her distraught that Trump was attempting to start a trade war with Canada.
“We’ve been neighbors and allies for years,” she said with distress. Our group empathized with her and chatted briefly about how shocking it was to hear this news abroad.
With Greek politics and government, despite still attempting to pull out of an economic deficit, I’ve been impressed at the resiliency and activism of Greek citizens.
A bench and a lamp post sit on a bank in Poros, Greece.
On February 28, 2023, two trains traveling in Greece collided in a fatal accident that killed 57 people, many of whom were university students. It was the deadliest railway accident in Greece.
Now, two years after the collision, protests have broken out calling for national politicians to be held accountable. On February 28, 2025, public transportation and local shops shut down as a form of protest.
With much speculation around the cause of the rail crash, many Greeks believe the government is at fault for the tragedy and is concealing information from the public. I was impressed with the commitment and dedication of many Greek citizens, as virtually all businesses closed and many took to the streets to voice their outrage.
The protests were a reminder of just how much government influence — or a lack thereof — can affect individual livelihoods abroad and in America.
MORE ABROAD COLUMNS
Before 2023, I had never left the country, and until this past month, I had yet to leave the continent. So, you could certainly say I’m not a well-seasoned traveler, especially internationally.
Originally published on psucollegian.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
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