The institutional framework and major transformations in the Greek Adult Learning System (ALS) over the past 40 years have been primarily shaped by factors external to domestic priorities. Moreover, the ad hoc approach to education policy makes the system vulnerable to external shocks and susceptible to political influences. This chapter employs historical institutionalism to analyse Greece's ALS from the 1990s to the present. ALS in Greece has developed through a unique historical progression, gradual institutional changes, and conflicts regarding power and resources during its formation and key periods. In the 1990s, European Union policies significantly affected Greek adult education and training policy. The adult education and training sector gained political importance and expanded educational opportunities. Nonetheless, the global economic crisis in 2008 resulted in power transitions and political tensions that facilitated the role of foreign entities as reform-orientated agents, prompting swift institutional changes and disruptions in various policy areas, including ALS. The lack of a coherent strategy, overlapping responsibilities and an absence of an adult learning culture pose substantial challenges for the development of the Greek ALS and its effectiveness. © The Editors and Contributing Authors Severally 2025.
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