The Role of SSE Trajectories in the Implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda during an Era of Fiscal Constraints

Greece, the EU Member State most impacted by the 2008/2009 financial crisis, introduced for the very first time in 2011 a modest Social Economy and Social Entrepreneurship fabric, which was replaced in 2016 by a broader Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) framework. Moreover, it incorporated the UN 2030 Agenda in 2017 through a set of eight National Priorities, which are aligned with all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But the marginal number of SSE organizations, their limited activity and the lack of a cooperative culture between the state, the market and SSE, bring into question the SSE potential to strengthen the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda. Although the current framework of SSE does not create serious barriers for their involvement in the SDGs discourse, the financial status of the country and a rather troubled social situation do not support the development of visible SSE activities. In this respect, this Paper a) describes the implementation progress of the UN 2030 Agenda and its SDGs by Greece; b) discusses the current SSE institutional and policy framework and c) highlights the factors that shape the involvement of SSE institutions as facilitators of social targets associated with the SDGs, particularly in regional and local settings.