Securitization Gaps in Greece. A Disconnect Between Rhetoric and Practice During the Migration Crisis and the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study examines the dynamics of securitization in Greece during two significant crises: the migration crisis from 2012 to 2018 and the COVID-19 pandemic response in 2020. It introduces the Securitization Gap Theory (SGT) to analyze the discrepancies between rhetoric and practice in crisis governance. The research highlights how the Greek government’s approach to migration evolved from a comprehensive securitization strategy under the New Democracy (ND) government to a meta-securitization framework introduced by SYRIZA, emphasizing EU values and human rights. The analysis reveals critical gaps in discourse and practice, demonstrating the impact of competing existential threats. The findings suggest that while initial securitization efforts may provide short-term stability, they often lead to long-term democratic challenges and normative failures, underscoring the need for resilient governance frameworks that align national policies with international legal norms. The study contributes to the academic disco