The Greek Economy Is Completely under the Influence of Monopolies or Cartels

The Greek economy, for example, is completely under the influence of monopolies or cartels and the actual work produced by the Competition Committee is quite small. Five hundred job descriptions or occupations are ‘‘protected’’ in Greece, since the 1920s, including for example taxi drivers, dentists, pharmacies, lawyers etc. In industry or retail, oligopolies rule freely the entire market. It is not surprising then, that since 2008 prices have remained high for most if not all retail products without any tendency to fall, despite the dramatic reduction in household incomes.

--Efthymios G. Tsionas, The Euro and International Financial Stability, Financial and Monetary Policy Studies 37 (Cham, CH: Springer International Publishing, 2014), 5.