Rania Antonopoulos
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Ourania "Rania" Antonopoulou a.k.a. Rania Antonopoulos ( el, Ουρανία Αντωνοπούλου; born 17 December 1960) is a
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
heterodox economist Heterodox economics is any economic thought or theory that contrasts with orthodox schools of economic thought, or that may be beyond neoclassical economics.Frederic S. Lee, 2008. "heterodox economics," ''The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics' ...
and
Syriza The Coalition of the Radical Left – Progressive Alliance ( el, Συνασπισμός Ριζοσπαστικής Αριστεράς – Προοδευτική Συμμαχία, Synaspismós Rizospastikís Aristerás – Proodeftikí Simachía), ...
politician. After the January 2015 election, MP Alexis Tsipras named her as the Greek Alternate Minister for Combating Unemployment in his cabinet tasked to implement a job guarantee policy based on her previous work experience and a specific study for Greece with other colleagues at the Levy Economics Institute. She remains a Syriza member. On the 5th of September 2018 she was appointed by the Greek Government as the Permanent Representative of Greece (Ambassador) to the OECD in Paris, France, entrusting her to represent the country despite the severe media attack she had been subjected to a few months earlier. Between February and August 2015, she also was a member of the
Hellenic Parliament The Hellenic Parliament ( el, Ελληνικό Κοινοβούλιο, Elliniko Kinovoulio; formally titled el, Βουλή των Ελλήνων, Voulí ton Ellínon, Boule of the Hellenes, label=none), also known as the Parliament of the He ...
. A former macroeconomic policy adviser for
UN Women The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women, is a United Nations entity working for gender equality and the empowerment of women. UN Women advocates for the rights of women and girls, and foc ...
and consultant
UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
and the
ILO The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and ol ...
, she is specialized in
macroeconomic Macroeconomics (from the Greek prefix ''makro-'' meaning "large" + ''economics'') is a branch of economics dealing with performance, structure, behavior, and decision-making of an economy as a whole. For example, using interest rates, taxes, an ...
gender issues Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures u ...
and job creation in extreme
unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refe ...
economic environments. She is Associate Professor of Economics at New York
Bard College Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 1860, ...
and a senior scholar of the
Levy Economics Institute Founded in 1986 as the Jerome Levy Economics Institute, the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy think tank. The purpose of its research and other activities is to enable scholars and leaders in busi ...
where she is involved with the
Modern Monetary Theory Modern Monetary Theory or Modern Money Theory (MMT) is a heterodox * * * * * * macroeconomic theory that describes currency as a public monopoly and unemployment as evidence that a currency monopolist is overly restricting the supply ...
school of
post-Keynesian economics Post-Keynesian economics is a school of economic thought with its origins in '' The General Theory'' of John Maynard Keynes, with subsequent development influenced to a large degree by Michał Kalecki, Joan Robinson, Nicholas Kaldor, Sidney ...
. A co-initiator of the ''Economists for Full Employment'' project, she has been a long-time supporter of a
job guarantee A job guarantee is an economic policy proposal that aims to provide a sustainable solution to inflation and unemployment. Its aim is to create full employment and price stability by having the state promise to hire unemployed workers as an emp ...
with the state being
employer of last resort Employers of last resort (ELR) are employers in an economy to whom workers go for jobs when no other jobs are available; the term is by analogy with " lender of last resort". The phrase is used in two senses: * undesirable jobs, often private secto ...
. Following a job guarantee 2012 pilot project based in large part on her advocacy with the General Confederation of Trade Unions of Greece (ΓΣΕΕ), and subsequent empirical work she undertook at the Levy Institute for ΓΣΕΕ, she was appointed Alternate Minister for Combatting Unemployment in the
Syriza The Coalition of the Radical Left – Progressive Alliance ( el, Συνασπισμός Ριζοσπαστικής Αριστεράς – Προοδευτική Συμμαχία, Synaspismós Rizospastikís Aristerás – Proodeftikí Simachía), ...
-led Tsipras Government. In her ministerial office, she was specifically tasked with implementing a nationwide job guarantee program to combat
long-term unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refere ...
by creating at least 300,000 new jobs for the unemployed.


Education and early career

When in 1997 Antonopoulou received her Ph.D. economics from the
New School for Social Research The New School for Social Research (NSSR) is a graduate-level educational institution that is one of the divisions of The New School in New York City, United States. The university was founded in 1919 as a home for progressive era thinkers. NSS ...
, she had already been teaching economics at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...
and in the same year was awarded the university's ''Teaching Excellence Award''. At New York University she taught Economics, a post she would hold until 2006. Working in the fields of feminist economics, international trade, and the economics of globalization, Antonopoulou served as macroeconomic policy adviser for
UN Women The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women, is a United Nations entity working for gender equality and the empowerment of women. UN Women advocates for the rights of women and girls, and foc ...
, and as advising consultant for the
United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
(UNDP) and the
International Labour Office The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...
(ILO). In 2002, she became co-director of the ''Knowledge Networking Program on Engendering Macroeconomics and International Economics'' (GEM-IWG) and co-founded ''GEM-Europe'' and ''GEM-Turkey''.


Academic career

Prior to her involvement in politics, Antonopoulou served as Associate Professor of Economics at
Bard College Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 1860, ...
she has been affiliated with since 2001. She is also a senior scholar with the associated
Levy Economics Institute Founded in 1986 as the Jerome Levy Economics Institute, the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy think tank. The purpose of its research and other activities is to enable scholars and leaders in busi ...
and director of the ''Gender Equality and the Economy'' program. In the last years she has further specialized in linkages of
gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most culture ...
and macro economics, in the macroeconomic impact of
job guarantee A job guarantee is an economic policy proposal that aims to provide a sustainable solution to inflation and unemployment. Its aim is to create full employment and price stability by having the state promise to hire unemployed workers as an emp ...
policies, and in the implications of unpaid work on poverty indicators. In line with her heterodox policy oriented research, she continued working on her concept of a "
Job guarantee A job guarantee is an economic policy proposal that aims to provide a sustainable solution to inflation and unemployment. Its aim is to create full employment and price stability by having the state promise to hire unemployed workers as an emp ...
" which she has been developing at the Levy Institute of Bard College since 2006. This concept turns the state into an
Employer of last resort Employers of last resort (ELR) are employers in an economy to whom workers go for jobs when no other jobs are available; the term is by analogy with " lender of last resort". The phrase is used in two senses: * undesirable jobs, often private secto ...
that issues publicly funded jobs at
minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. B ...
level to everybody unable to find a job in the
private sector The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government. Employment The ...
. When job opportunities are scarce, it is argued, public policy must ensure that the institutional means of implementation of the RIGHT TO WORK, that is, of Article 23.1 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt ...
are in place. The huge rise of
unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refe ...
following the
Greek government-debt crisis Greece faced a sovereign debt crisis in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2007–2008. Widely known in the country as The Crisis ( Greek: Η Κρίση), it reached the populace as a series of sudden reforms and austerity measures that ...
and the
austerity Austerity is a set of political-economic policies that aim to reduce government budget deficits through spending cuts, tax increases, or a combination of both. There are three primary types of austerity measures: higher taxes to fund spend ...
measures imposed by the Troika led the
PASOK The Panhellenic Socialist Movement ( el, Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα, Panellínio Sosialistikó Kínima, ), known mostly by its acronym PASOK, (; , ) is a social-democratic political party in Greece. Until 2012, it ...
-led
Ministry of Labour The Ministry of Labour ('' UK''), or Labor ('' US''), also known as the Department of Labour, or Labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, training, a ...
into giving the concept a chance. In 2012, a first pilot program was rolled out for 55,000 unemployed. An extended, translated version of:


Minister for Combatting Unemployment

When in the January 2015 elections, Antonopoulou was elected a
Member of the Hellenic Parliament The Hellenic Parliament ( el, Ελληνικό Κοινοβούλιο, Elliniko Kinovoulio; formally titled el, Βουλή των Ελλήνων, Voulí ton Ellínon, Boule of the Hellenes, label=none), also known as the Parliament of the He ...
on Syriza's state list, new Greek prime minister
Alexis Tsipras Alexis Tsipras ( el, Αλέξης Τσίπρας, ; born 28 July 1974) is a Greek politician serving as Leader of the Official Opposition since 2019. He served as Prime Minister of Greece from 2015 to 2019. Tsipras has led the Coalition of th ...
appointed her Alternate Minister for Combatting Unemployment. Her portfolio also included the strengthening of the Social and Solidarity Economy sector (SSE) of the economy and she is credited with the enactment of the SSE law which was voted in parliament in October 2016. Antonopoulou is the second
Modern Monetary Theory Modern Monetary Theory or Modern Money Theory (MMT) is a heterodox * * * * * * macroeconomic theory that describes currency as a public monopoly and unemployment as evidence that a currency monopolist is overly restricting the supply ...
scholar to assume a high-profile post in a government, following her former colleague at Bard College, Stephanie Kelton, who earlier in January was appointed Chief Economist of the
U.S. Senate Budget Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Budget was established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. It is responsible for drafting Congress's annual budget plan and monitoring action on the budget for the Federal G ...
. In her ministerial office, Antonopoulou was specifically tasked with implementing a nationwide "Job Guarantee" program to combat
long-term unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refere ...
, creating at least 300,000 new jobs for the unemployed. The program has been described both by herself and by others as being a centerpiece of a "Greek
New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Con ...
" as proposed by the
Syriza The Coalition of the Radical Left – Progressive Alliance ( el, Συνασπισμός Ριζοσπαστικής Αριστεράς – Προοδευτική Συμμαχία, Synaspismós Rizospastikís Aristerás – Proodeftikí Simachía), ...
government. Outlined in a Levy Institute research project and policy paper from October 2014, the program will be built on the experience of the 2012 pilot project and won't be restricted to reskilling some of the unemployed for the private sector. The program, with precedents only in the
Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...
Rural Employment Guarantee, is rather set to create publicly funded long-term jobs to allow the unemployed fulfilling socially needed tasks at a
minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. B ...
level. In a February 2015 interview with ''
Deutsche Welle Deutsche Welle (; "German Wave" in English), abbreviated to DW, is a German public, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the German federal tax budget. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite television service cons ...
'', Antonopoulos pointed out that "the main problem in Greece is lack of aggregate demand and consequent lack of jobs, not lack of skills." Results of the 2012 pilot project suggested that some 500,000 of the totaling 1.3 million unemployed in Greece would be willing to take up such a minimum-wage level job.


Private life

Prior to her arrival in Athens to join the Greek Government's cabinet in September 2015, Antonopoulou lived in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
since 1977, and is married to her colleague at Bard College, Greek American economist
Dimitri B. Papadimitriou Dimitri B. Papadimitriou (born 9 June 1946, in Thessaloniki) is a Greece, Greek-born United States, American economist, author, and college professor. He is President, Levy Economics Institute of Bard College since its inception in 1986 and Jero ...
. In February 2018, Antonopoulou resigned her position after a controversy involving the fact that she received a rent subsidy despite having significant property holdings. washingtonpost.com
''Greece: Wealthy minister quits after rent subsidy furor''
/ref>


Selected publications

* * * * * * * * *


References


External links

*
Profile of ''Rania Antonopoulos''
at
Levy Economics Institute Founded in 1986 as the Jerome Levy Economics Institute, the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy think tank. The purpose of its research and other activities is to enable scholars and leaders in busi ...

Profile and papers
at RePEc
''Responding to the Unemployment Crisis in Greece''
lecture held on 25 November 2013 at
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
. * ''Employment Guarantee Policies: Contributing to Pro-Poor Development, Promoting Gender Equality'', webcast by Rania Antonopoulos
full webcast
( .wrf format
slidesaudio stream
{{DEFAULTSORT:Antonopoulos, Rania 1960 births Politicians from Athens Living people Greek women economists Modern monetary theory scholars Labor economists Gender studies academics The New School alumni Bard College faculty Syriza politicians Greek MPs 2015 (February–August) Government ministers of Greece New York University faculty 21st-century Greek politicians 21st-century Greek women politicians