Former President of the Republic of Greece Karolos Papoulias dies

Statesmen, politicians and compatriots say goodbye to Karolos Papoulias, a great politician who passed away on December 26 this year.

The country’s political world expressed its grief and sent condolences to the family on Sunday, December 26, after the news of the death of the former President of the Republic of Greece Karolos Papoulias, who died at the age of 92.

Former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said in a statement:

“Karolos Papoulias was a selfless fighter for his ideals, a brilliant politician and a man of high culture. He devotedly served his homeland, his party, his place of origin, but, above all, the interests of the country. National interests were a guide on his political path. At critical moments for Greece, he was fortunate enough to lead the state, and this is a very positive fact for the country. He was the impeccable President of the Hellenic Republic, with a decisive and at the same time restrained role in events that were to be decisive. Karolos Papoulias made history. I express my sincere condolences to his family. “

Development and Investment Minister Adonis Georgiadis tweeted on behalf of the government:

“I had the honor to serve under two governments at a time when the late Karolos Papoulias was Deputy Minister. We are all indebted to him that we are still in the Eurozone and the EU. The Motherland will remember him and respect him!”

reference

Karolos Papoulias was President of Greece for two five-year terms, from 2005 to 2015. He is a well-known politician, leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) party. Papoulias was born on June 4, 1929 in the village of Molyvdoskepastos near the town of Ioannina, in northwestern Greece, to the family of Major General Grigorios Papoulias. During the Second World War, as a teenager, he participated in the Resistance movement. Received a law degree. He graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Athens, postgraduate study at the University of Milan (international public law and international relations), received his doctorate from the University of Cologne (international private law). During the military junta of 1967-1974 he participated in the struggle against the dictatorship. As “RIA Novosti” writes, with regard to his political career, Papoulias joined PASOK in 1974 and was constantly elected as a deputy from Ioannina for 26 years (1977-2004). In the first government of Andreas Papandreou, he was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister and held this position until 1984, and then became First Deputy Foreign Minister. From 1985 to 1989, Papoulias served as Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 1989 to 1990 he was the first deputy minister of national defense. He returned to the post of foreign minister in 1993 and remained there until 1996. He was chairman of the parliamentary committee for national defense and foreign affairs. Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis nominated Papoulias for the post of President of the Republic on December 12, 2004. At the parliament meeting on February 8, 2005, Karolos Papoulias was elected president of the republic in the first round, with 279 votes out of 300. On February 3, 2010, Karolos Papoulias was re-elected to the highest post in the country, gaining 266 votes out of 298 voters. He became the third president to be re-elected for a second term. Papoulias was awarded with Soviet and Russian commemorative medals on the occasion of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Greek President Katerina Sakelluropoulou in condolences characterized him as a patriot, noting that his participation in the national Resistance and in the fight against the dictatorship determined his unwavering commitment to the ideals of freedom and justice, which he consistently defended throughout his career. “Being an expert in international politics, during his time at the Foreign Ministry, he helped Greece gain special weight and strengthen its role as a factor of stability in our region,” the condolences said. As Sakellaropoulou noted, as President of Greece, Papoulias defended social cohesion and national unity. …



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