Greece is a country that is under-represented in comparative education research. Its education system is characterised by a strong state influence and an ad hoc approach to educational planning, rendering it highly susceptible to shifts in domestic political agendas and external influences. We examine the Greek adult learning system through the lens of the analytical concepts of ALS and historical institutionalism as the product of a specific historical evolution and institutional change, defined by conflicts over power and resources at critical junctures (e.g. the Greek bailout crisis). In the 1990s, EU policies became a major reference point for Greek adult education and training policy, and the European Social Fund prevailed as the main funding source. During this phase (1993 to 2008), the adult education and training sector acquired significant political importance, accompanied by the emergence of new institutions and a notable expansion in the provision of educational opportunities. The global economic crisis of 2007-2008 and the subsequent recession was a critical juncture with political conflicts and power shifts, which enabled external actors to act as reform-oriented agents and impose high-moving processes of institutional change and ruptures in all policy areas. In the aftermath of the crisis (2019-2024), policies have developed path depended. It turns out that the driving forces behind the institutional design and transformative changes in the Greek ALS over the past four decades have been largely outside the scope of domestic agendas. They were initiated by influential supra- and international actors and supported by EU funding.

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