EN
Greece’s defeat in the war with Turkey in 1897 resulted in submitting the state’s finances to the control by an international committee and provoked the necessity to introduce systemic reforms. The role of the father of modernization was vested in the new Prime Minister, Alexandros Zaimis, who on 29 October 1898 submitted to King George an extensive memorandum specifying the directions of essential reforms, indispensable to stabilize the country’s situation. The main goal was to “rebuild the state and the country”, and the means to achieve it was a fundamental modernization in such spheres as organization of the state, administration of justice, fiscal system, as well as education and social welfare. The main achievement of the modernization policy was the passing of the Constitution (27 May 1911), amending the fundamental law of 1864. The Constitution mainly improved the lawmaking process and until Greece joined the Second World War, it had been the basic point of reference in systemic issues.