The ideal of democracy is the subject of theoretical and political debate. Its content, conditions, and practices will continue to concern us.

At every step, the citizen experiences the conflict between the utopia of the democratic idea and the reality of its management. The problematic that has developed around this dilemma is particularly rich and encompasses the whole of the social sciences. Part of this problematic is published in this volume, which consists of contributions in honor of Professor Zisis Papadimitriou, an academic teacher and active citizen who has struggled, like few others, with the utopia and reality of democracy.

The texts included are:
- Instead of a preface

Part One
Democracy and Political Reality

- Ioannis Manoledakis, "A historical event and its different ideological narratives"
- Antonis Manitakis, "The concept of the multitude and the utopian perspective of global democracy (With reference to the 'democracy of the multitude' in Negri's work)"
- Kostas Stratilatis, "Liberal democracy as a dystopia. Some thoughts and interpretations based on John Gray's book 'Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia'"
- Kostas H. Chrysogonos, "Kleptocracy: The problem of corruption in the Greek political system"
- Kostas Zoras, "Delegitimization and extrajudicial influence as pathogenesis of the political system: The possible constitutionalization of a necessary political change"
- Michalis Spourdalakis, "On the conditions for the development of the Left in the early 21st century"
- Ifigenia Kamtsidou, "The legal-political significance of the election of the President of the Republic. The Greek example"
- Lina Papadopoulou, "Thoughts on the municipality and democracy in the European Union"
- Anastasia Deligiouri, "Deliberative and digital democracy: The communicative challenges of contemporary post-democracy"
- Ozeni Athanasiadou, "Direct democratic institutions in representative democracy: Convergence or conflict?"
- Nikos Paraskevopoulos, "'What the fox can't reach...' (The embarrassment of contemporary criticism of Athenian democracy)"
- Nikos Garypidis, "Disobedience of the citizen and democratic authority: A critical approach to the perception of justified non-compliance with the law in contemporary liberalism"
- Georgios Anastasiadis, "Alexandros Svolos and Greek constitutional history"

Part Two
Democracy and the International Economic System

- Stergios Bambanasis, "Economic systems and democracy"
- Nikos H. Varsakelis, "The economic policy of the post-war governments: Myths and realities"
- Georgios Durakis, "Economic liberalism versus social Europe: The case of the Bolkestein Directive on the single market for services"
- Mouses G. Sideropoulos, "The financial crisis and the political and social cohesion of Europe"
- Georgios Hatzikonstantinou, "The rupture of crises"
- Kostas Hatzikonstantinou, "Forbidden attacks on the law of war"

Part Three
Democracy, Rights, and Social Reality

- Georgios E.

Skoulas, "Critical view of social change: The importance of revolution today"
- Maria Stratigaki, "Gender balanced participation in political decision-making centers"
- Maria Kaiapha-Gkmpanti, "Burdening forms of drug trafficking: Intensification of criminal repression and the principle of proportionality"
- Elisavet Symeonidou-Kastanidou, "The 'violent radicalization' in the crosshairs of the European Union"
- Xenophon Kontiadis, "Racist democracy: The immigrant as a rights bearer and their violation"
- Konstantinos Gogos, "Forty years later: The problem of the constitutionality of the 'legalization' of arbitrary constructions (With reference to the possibility of 'legalizing' constructions in semi-outdoor spaces)"
- Panagiotis Mantzoufas, "Human rights: From the myth of natural law to the ideology of humanitarian interventions"
- Christos Nikas, Dimitrios Aspasis, "Albanian immigrants in Greece: Temporary or permanent issue?"

Biographical note
Volume contributors