system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How can the Greek government have spent so much that they are still broke? What was all this money spent on?
gpt
In a single word: corruption. Not only the politicians (almost all of them), also the population. Since the Ottoman times, the Greek culture holds the idea that the government is an enemy and everything should be done to avoid giving money to it. So tax evasion is rampant and socially acceptable, in all layers of the society. It's helped by corrupt officials who cover others who cover others etc.

Family member wanted to get documents and permits in order for a house (actual house didn't match the permit). Nobody there (including the mayor) understood that he would do something that cost money just to be legal.

There's a society problem and it will take at least one generation to get fixed.