Apostolis Fotiadis, writer: “How the Military-Industrial Complex Changes the EU”
17.4. 2018
NKUA / 

This first lecture was given by the writer Apostolis Fotiadis and was entitled “The Military-Industrial Complex Is Fundamentally Changing the European Union”. In his presentation Mr. Fotiadis analysed the ongoing militarization of EU’s policies in relation to the refugee crisis. The guiding threads of his analysis were the systematic interventions of pressure groups in EU’s institutions, the conflict of interests between EU and the private industry, as well as the illegitimate flows of money that accompany it. He concluded his lecture by describing a slow, but steady, shift of EU, under the pressure of the military-industrial complex, towards the strengthening of security forces and militarization. As he emphasized, this development does not concern only refugees, but Europe’s people as a whole.

In the discussion that followed, comments were made on border technologies, as well as on the policies and technologies of security and surveillance. The strategic relation between issues of security and refugees was pointed out, while reference was made to initiatives of solidarity to refugees by common people, in comparison to the professionalism and bureaucracy of relative European programs.

The lecture attended by university students and citizens of Nea Philadelphia – Chalkidona Municipality, where the museum of Minor Asia Hellenism “Filio Haidemenou” is based. A brief salutation was also made by the mayor of the town who attended this opening lecture.

Find more (including pictures) at: 
http://riskchange.phs.uoa.gr/past-events/lectures.html