Greece's economy is growing. But there is a shortage of workers in many industries. The government in Athens is therefore intensifying relations with Asia. The country is not alone with its difficulties.

Dhe years of the Greek crisis are over. Although not all that glitters is an upswing, Greece's economy has been growing robustly for several years. The first quarterly figures for this year, expected in April or May, will show more reliably to what extent the crisis in the Red Sea will affect goods turnover in the Chinese-operated port of Piraeus. Overall, however, the upswing is obvious.

The country is now being hit with force by a phenomenon that has long been an issue in many other EU countries: there is a shortage of workers, especially in tourism, agriculture, construction and healthcare. In the 1990s and even in the first decade of this millennium, Greece was able to largely cover its need for cheap labor from neighboring Albania, but this reservoir has largely been exhausted. Many Albanians have established themselves economically in Greece and are now employers themselves. Or they move to other EU countries where they can earn more.