Kostas Simitis, Greece’s former Prime Minister, died this morning, January 5,
Kostas Simitis, Greece’s former Prime Minister, died this morning, January 5, at the age of 88.
Simitis led the PASOK party and served as Prime Minister from 1996 to 2004, succeeding Andreas Papandreou. As Prime minister he advocated economic reform and deeper European integration, and he played a pivotal role in Greece’s adoption of the euro.
Born in Athens in 1936, Simitis studied law and economics in Germany and England. He began his academic career as an assistant professor at the University of Konstanz in 1971, later becoming a professor at the University of Giessen (1971–1975) and Panteion University in Athens (1977). During Greece’s dictatorship, he fled abroad and joined the Panhellenic Liberation Movement (PAK) in 1970, serving on its National Council. A founding member of PASOK, Simitis was part of its first Executive Office.
Simitis held several ministerial roles, including Minister of Agriculture (1981–1985), National Economy (1985–1987), and Industry and Trade (1993–1995). He was first elected as a parliamentarian for Piraeus in 1985. On January 18, 1996, he succeeded Andreas Papandreou as prime minister, representing PASOK’s “modernizing” wing with a focus on economic reforms and aligning Greece’s economy with Europe’s standards.
Following Papandreou’s death, Simitis was elected PASOK president
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