Greece, being a part of the European Union, remains a periphery state in terms of its geographical and economic position. This kind of position can be one of the central reasons for the limited success of the country’s uploading its foreign policy preferences to the EU level. The geographic position of this Southern state and the current immigration issues make Greece concentrate on its national agenda rather than adopt the sentiments that are more common in the Northern states. Greece has faced considerable issues related to the flow of immigrants from African and Middle Eastern countries, so its position regarding the proportionate distribution of the load is quite justified. The country has become one of the central stakeholders in promoting the corresponding legislature that has had rather limited success and brought more tension between member states.
In addition to immigration problems, the country has certain interests related to geographic disputes that have not been solved so far. The issues related to Kosovo, Cyprus, Macedonia, and the Middle East have become a point of discord. Greece concentrates on its national agenda, which often has quite a negative effect on the development of the EU. For instance, Greece vetoed the recognition of FYROM as the ‘Republic of Macedonia’ and prevented its membership in NATO. The lasting dispute has not been resolved and continues influencing the country’s foreign policy. Greece displays its unwillingness to adopt the EU’s position on the issues mentioned above. The recent trends related to the rise of nationalism or even radical political views make countries such as Greece more concerned with their national interests. This position undermines the future of the EU, but Greece, as well as many other Southern states, continue using the union as a platform for addressing certain geographic and economic issues.