The study analyzes the effects of the economic crisis on Greek democracy. According to the author, democracy in Greece has survived crisis, but democracy’s long-term problems have been accentuated during the last ten years and democracy has started backsliding. This process is related not only to the gravity of the recent crisis, but also to long-term, historical legacies, such as political clientelism, populism and corruption. The study explains how populism, clientelism and corruption in Greece have actively contributed to the decline of representative democracy and elaborates policy recommendations that could limit their influence on the political system.