When the crisis broke out, most European media hastily blamed the Greek people. Stereotypes were reproduced: Greeks work little, retire young, and have an oversized public sector. Swedish author and journalist Kajsa Ekis Ekman challenged all of the above. For this reason, she lived for two years in Greece, investigating the real causes of the crisis.

The author delves into the roots of the Greek problem, which is not an isolated case but part of the global crisis of capitalism. Who were the real promoters of the Euro – the politicians or the industrial magnates? What purposes does the common currency serve? Who benefited from its establishment?

Ekman documents how the crisis affected Greek society and closely observes the events: general strikes, mass demonstrations, and electoral contests. She examines the characteristics of those who composed the diverse Indignant Movement of Syntagma Square.

She converses with young people who became unemployed, with entrepreneurs and conspiracy theorists, with workers who took control of the factory they worked in, with politicians and voters from across the political spectrum. The book includes two revealing interviews with George Papandreou and Alexis Tsipras.

A vivid chronicle that highlights the unseen mechanisms of the powerful interests and gives voice to the people who pay the cost.