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Recently, the internationally renowned magazine Monocle ranked Greece among the countries that stood out in 2020.
Greece was one of the countries that flew high in 2020 according to the internationally renowned monocle magazine and its annual survey. In fact, on the cover of the magazine, the Greek flag flies first, along with those of South Korea, Switzerland, Japan and Germany under the title: “the superstars of soft power.”
The monocle, which is circulating in all countries of the world, is shaping trends and is considered a form of great influence, is led by Tyler Bruhl, former founder of Wallpaper and columnist for the Financial Times.
Tyler Brule’s director was in Athens these days and I spoke with SKAI and Apostolos Maggeriadis for the footprint it leaves this year but also for the opportunities it creates for our country.
His interview in detail:
Q: Tyler, thank you for joining us tonight at SKAI. I want to ask you if 2020 was a special year for the Monocle editorial team to measure the soft power of states around the world, especially at a time when every government was busy taking care of its own home.
TYLER’S BROULE: Good night. It was obviously a very difficult year for everyone in the field of journalism. It does not matter if you work in radio, television or press. Yet at the same time, it has allowed us to change our methodology of how we view nations around the world. But more than anything, we came up with a lot when we changed our thinking a bit to see, not exactly the optimistic aspect, but mainly what is the plan from now on? What are the areas in which a country can set an example and improve?
Q: In that sense, in your last issue of Monocle, we saw Greece on the cover thanks to the progress it has made. What are the items you saw that help bring Greece back to the top?
TYLER’S BROULE: One of the things that we have seen and are very interested in the prospects of the country is the return of the diaspora. One of the things that we noticed in summer when we visited the country but also in autumn was that there are Greeks who return from London, who have returned from Melbourne, who return from Berlin and do very interesting things in Greece. So that was one item. Then there is the evolution of the things themselves. And one of the most remarkable things that we have seen in the recovery period is that Greece was in a very difficult position for quite some time. But one problem our authors noticed when they arrived in Greece is that the country is working, constantly evolving, working.
Q: And what elements do you think Greece can build on to gain even more momentum?
TYLER’S BROULE: Look, one of the things to look for in a country that is doing well is this “Made in” item, which does not necessarily mean that it is designed or manufactured in Greece. There are many others that are “made” in Greece. For example, the digital transformation of your country is a huge topic of discussion in many parts of the world. But I also think of other elements of “soft power” when I buy something on the shelves of a grocery store or the shelves of a wine store produced in Greece. A pants or a T-shirt that I wrap around my shoulders, or a towel. These are all important elements for us at Monocle to assess a country’s footprint on the “soft power” list and “Made in” plays a crucial role.
Q: What is your opinion on 2021? You are a person who travels a lot, obviously you traveled before the pandemic. You get in touch with people. How does it feel to “get back to normal”? What will the new regularity be like in travel, in working from home, in our sociability?
TYLER’S BROULE: Look, we had a “window” in the summer to see a return to normalcy. It was a good time that we lived the months of late June, July, August and September. And the regularity seemed really normal, the bars, clubs and restaurants reopened, people went back to work. So this gives us a taste. Obviously many talk about the benefits of working from home, all these data. But we see that this trend is weakening. We already know that, I see a writing room behind you and it is clear that people want to get back together. Either in a negotiation place or in a law firm. So I think the “new normal” will just be our return to normal.
Source: skai.gr
