MULTICULTURALISM & METAPOLITEFSI

The period of Metapolitefsi in Greece and Multiculturalism in Australia (1967-2009) was a period of prosperity for the Greek Australian community, with travel and movement between the two countries. The Greek Australian migration story doesn’t stop though, another wave was due to come soon with the Global Financial Crisis and the New Migration Wave 2009-2022.

Filmed in the heart of Melbourne's Greek Quarter.  

Hosted by Kyriakos Gold, CEO of Just Gold Digital Agency.

Metapolitefsi began with the optimism that every new beginning brings after a

historic period of unfreedom. A time accompanied with the heavy signs of a coup

adventure, following a national disaster of the Turkish invasion in Cyprus and finally,

its division. Everything proclaimed that democratic institutions would be strengthened

and developed, that positive economic conditions would give new opportunities for

development to a country experiencing heavy bleeding from crisis and the ongoing

migration. Moreover, it was believed that the wind of freedom would help develop an

education system that would lead to the country’s revitalization.

The Third Hellenic Republic, as it is called, was the product of a multifaceted political,

economic and national crisis. Despite the rapid transition to democracy and the

avoidance of a Greek-Turkish war, the depth of the economic crisis reflected structural

entanglements and foreshadowed broader transformations. The partial recovery of

growth and the temporary restraint of oil prices after 1975, might have given a slight

extension to the post-war model of the development of the Greek economy, but they

could not mask the main problem: the conditions for a “Greek miracle” had been

exhausted. The oil crisis of 1973 hit the Greek economy at a very bad time. Monetary

instability and inflationary pressures began to emerge, although maintaining a high

growth throughout that year, was more of a warming factor than a sign of strength.

The restrictive economic policy adopted in the late phase of the dictatorship, combined

with the inflation that peaked after the onset of the oil crisis, had severely affected the

income of the Greeks. Additionally, the labour share in the industrial product declined

significantly in 1973, while in the first half of 1974 wages experienced a significant

decline.

The so-called “culture of Metapolitefsi” is responsible for many, if not all, wrong

doings in Greek society. Ongoing political “clientele approach”, the state trade union

organisation and economy, violence and lawlessness, financial diversion, corruption and

populism led many Greek immigrants back to their second “homeland”.

In the meantime, in Australia, the Whitlam Government had focused on recognising

the past and reimagining a modern Australia with multiculturalism at its heart, whereby

government policies would encourage the notion that cultural differences within

society should be accepted and celebrated. Τhe first expressions of this policy were the

introduction of new translation services for migrants, the establishment of multicultural

radio services, and the incorporation of multiculturalism into health, welfare and

education policy. Immigration Minister Al Grassby was an enthusiastic advocate of the

principles of multiculturalism, passionately arguing for the benefits of cultural diversity

and the importance of social harmony and tolerance.

Multicultural radio stations and telephone translation services were introduced to

provide improved support for new migrants once they arrived in Australia, providing

additional educational support for migrant children, with additional teachers, learning

facilities, and specialised classes for new migrants at school. Migrant education centres

were established in most state capitals and multilingual welfare officers were employed

to assist migrants to access social services. On October 31, 1975, the last month of the

Whitlam Government, the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 was enacted. This legislation

remains one of the most important human rights protections in Australia. The

legislation made it unlawful to unfairly discriminate against someone on the basis of

their ethnicity or national origin.

The Australian constitutional crisis, also known simply as the Dismissal, culminated

on 11 November 1975. Following the dismissal from office of the Prime Minister,

Gough Whitlam of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), Governor-General Sir John Kerr

commissioned the Leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Fraser of the Liberal Party,

as caretaker Prime Minister. Despite the political crisis, multiculturalism was here to

stay, and it signalled a golden period for CALD communities. For the Greek Australian

community it translated to key positions in government, visibility in media and

recognition by broader society, it even meant tastier menus in restaurants.