In 2008 Greece became the centre of European current affairs due to the financial crisis that has affected its public finances. The situation shook the whole of the old continent by threatening the stability of the European Union's monetary system and with it the economies of all the member countries. While the development of what is known as the 'sovereign debt crisis' is not country-specific, the reforms that followed in Greece resulted in very significant improverishment of large parts of the population. Sintes situates the recent history of Greece leading up to its financial crisis, and the ensuing strikes, protests and political crisis, in the context, alongside theoretical work by scholars such as Jean-Loup Amselle and Arjun Appadurai. Addressing questions such as national identity, migration, the 'production of locality' and the future of the nation state through a series of case studies, Chasing the past: rethinking places on the margins of Greece will be essential reading for those seeking a fresh perspective on the crises affecting contemporary Europe.
