The study investigates the Greek Social Economy including foundations associations mutuals
cooperatives and related entities under a single coherent prism. The author delves into the
theoretical origins of Social Economy and its practical complementarity to the non-profit
civil society and cooperative sector. Major developments are highlighted: the introduction of
the first law on Social Economy and cooperative reform in light of the ongoing sovereign debt
crisis. He recognizes enterprises and non-profits of the Social Economy institutionally as well
as in the sociological perspective and provides outlooks of best practices and indicative
quantitative data. In addition the author proposes expanding the horizons of recognition into
national-accounting methodologies and grounding dominant theorizations to local conditions
including the role of the Orthodox Church in the voluntary sector.
