Parliamentary Economists and Social Reform:

The Case of the 'Japanese' in the Hellenic Parliament (1906-1908)

Abstract

Abstract: The “Japanese” were a group of seven politicians in the Hellenic Parliament between 1906 and 1908 who stood for the modernization of the state and for social reform, after the imposi-tion of International Financial Control over Greek finances in 1897. Their name was due to Japanʼs emergence after the Russo-Japanese War as a modernizing force in global politics. The present paper traces the trajectory of the “Japanese” in Greek politics from their forma-tive years to their final split as a distinctive political group, and discusses their economic views, putting them in the context of economic developments in the country. Emphasis is placed on two politicians, Dimitrios Gounaris and Petros Protopapadakis, because they were prominent in economic policy debates and had clear-cut views on economic policy reform. We investigate their importance for the evolution of economic thought in Greece, the strengths of their arguments, and the reasons for the groupʼs ultimate failure to exert a lasting influence in Greek politics. JEL classification numbers: A 11, B30.