Political Leaders: Greece

Leaders of Greece
(Hellenic Republic)

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Look for biographies of the leaders (in Spanish) at CIDOB website. Also visit a detailed page on Greek Governments since 1981 to know more about the ruling parties.

Late Parties: AK: Agrarian Party EEK: National Unionist Party EK, Center Union EPEK: National Progressive Center Union ERE: National Radical Union ES: Hellenic Union FDK: Liberal Democratic Center KF: Liberal Party LK: People's Party LKK: People's Social Party

Current Parties: DIKKI: Democratic Social Movement KKE: Communist Party of Greece LAOS: Popular Orthodox Rally ND: New Democracy PASOK: Panhellenic Socialist Movement SYP: Coalition of the Left and Progress, Synaspismos n/p: non-party

Heads of State

Kings
Georgios II                          4 Nov 1935 -  1 Apr 1947 (+)     (1)
Pavlos I                             1 Apr 1947 -  6 Mar 1964 (+)     (2)
Konstantinos II                      6 Mar 1964 -  1 Jun 1973         (3)

Regents
Georgios Zoitakis                   13 Dec 1967 - 21 Mar 1972 (+1996) military
Georgios C. Papadopoulos            21 Mar 1972 -  1 Jun 1973 (+1999) military

Presidents of the Republic
Georgios C. Papadopoulos             1 Jun 1973 - 25 Nov 1973 (+1999) n/p (prov. to 19 Aug 1973)
Phaidon D. Gizikis                  25 Nov 1973 - 14 Dec 1974 (+1999) military
Konstantinos G. Karamanlis          14 Dec 1974 - 18 Dec 1974 (+1998) ND (acting)
Michail D. Stasinopoulos            18 Dec 1974 - 20 Jun 1975 (+2002) n/p 
Konstantinos D. Tsatsos             20 Jun 1975 - 14 May 1980 (+1987) ND
Konstantinos G. Karamanlis          15 May 1980 - 10 Mar 1985 (+1998) ND
Ioannis N. Alevras                  10 Mar 1985 - 29 Mar 1985 (+1995) PASOK (acting) 
Christos A. Sartzetakis             30 Mar 1985 -  4 May 1990         n/p
Konstantinos G. Karamanlis           4 May 1990 - 10 Mar 1995 (+1998) ND
Konstantinos (Kostis) Stephanopoulos10 Mar 1995 - 12 Mar 2005         n/p
Karolos G. Papoulias                12 Mar 2005 -                     PASOK

(1) Archbishop Damaskinos (born Dimitrios Papandreou, +1949) acted as regent for the King from 30 Dec 1944 to 5 Sep 1946.
(2) Prince Konstantinos acted as regent for the King from 20 Feb 1964 to 6 Mar 1964.
(3) Konstantinos II went to exile on 14 Dec 1967. The monarchy was formally abolished on 1 Jun 1973.

Prime Ministers

Nikolaos Plastiras                   3 Jan 1945 -  9 Apr 1945 (+1953) military
Petros Voulgaris                     9 Apr 1945 - 17 Oct 1945 (+1957) military
Archbishop Dimitrios P. Damaskinos  17 Oct 1945 -  1 Nov 1945 (+1949) n/p (acting)
Panaiotis Kanellopoulos              1 Nov 1945 - 22 Nov 1945 (+1986) EEK
Themistoklis P. Sophoulis           22 Nov 1945 -  4 Apr 1946 (+1949) KF
Panaiotis Poulitsas                  4 Apr 1946 - 18 Apr 1946 (+1968) n/p
Konstantinos S. Tsaldaris           18 Apr 1946 - 25 Jan 1947 (+1970) LK
Dimitrios E. Maximos                25 Jan 1947 - 29 Aug 1947 (+1955) n/p 
Konstantinos S. Tsaldaris           29 Aug 1947 -  7 Nov 1947 (+1970) LK
Themistoklis P. Sophoulis            7 Nov 1947 - 30 Jun 1949 (+)     KF
Alexandros N. Diomidis              30 Jun 1949 -  7 Jan 1950 (+1951) KF
Ioannis G. Theotokis                 7 Jan 1950 - 23 Mar 1950 (+1961) LK
Sophoklis E. Venizelos              23 Mar 1950 - 15 Apr 1950 (+1964) KF
Nikolaos Plastiras                  15 Apr 1950 - 21 Aug 1950 (+1953) EPEK
Sophoklis E. Venizelos              21 Aug 1950 -  1 Nov 1951 (+1964) KF
Nikolaos Plastiras                   1 Nov 1951 - 11 Oct 1952 (+1953) EPEK
Dimitrios Kiousopoulos              11 Oct 1952 - 19 Nov 1952 (+1977) n/p      
Alexandros L. Papagos               19 Nov 1952 -  4 Oct 1955 (+)     ES
Stephanos C. Stephanopoulos          4 Oct 1955 -  6 Oct 1955 (+1982) LKK (acting)
Konstantinos G. Karamanlis           6 Oct 1955 -  5 Mar 1958 (+1998) ES, ERE
Konstantinos G. Georgakopoulos       5 Mar 1958 - 17 May 1958 (+1973) n/p (interim)
Konstantinos G. Karamanlis          17 May 1958 - 20 Sep 1961 (+1998) ERE
Konstantinos Dovas                  20 Sep 1961 -  4 Nov 1961 (+1973) military (interim)
Konstantinos G. Karamanlis           4 Nov 1961 - 17 Jun 1963 (+1998) ERE 
Panaiotis Pipinelis                 17 Jun 1963 - 29 Sep 1963 (+1970) ERE
Stilianos Mavromichalis             29 Sep 1963 -  8 Nov 1963 (+1983) n/p 
Georgios A. Papandreou (sr.)         8 Nov 1963 - 30 Dec 1963 (+1968) EK
Ioannis Paraskevopoulos             30 Dec 1963 - 18 Feb 1964 (+1984) n/p
Georgios A. Papandreou (sr.)        18 Feb 1964 - 15 Jul 1965 (+1968) EK
Georgios T. Athanasiadis-Novas      15 Jul 1965 - 20 Aug 1965 (+1987) EK
Elias I. Tsirimokos                 20 Aug 1965 - 29 Aug 1965 (+1968) n/p
Stephanos C. Stephanopoulos         17 Nov 1965 - 22 Dec 1966 (+1982) FDK
Ioannis Paraskevopoulos             22 Dec 1966 -  3 Apr 1967 (+1984) n/p
Panaiotis Kanellopoulos              3 Apr 1967 - 21 Apr 1967 (+1986) ERE
Konstantinos V. Kollias             21 Apr 1967 - 13 Dec 1967 (+1998) n/p (4) 
Georgios C. Papadopoulos            13 Dec 1967 -  8 Oct 1973 (+1999) military (5)
Spiros V. Markezinis                 8 Oct 1973 - 25 Nov 1973 (+2000) n/p (4) 
Adamantios Androutsopoulos          25 Nov 1973 - 23 Jul 1974 (+2000) n/p (4)
Konstantinos G. Karamanlis          23 Jul 1974 -  9 May 1980 (+1998) ND
Georgios I. Rallis                   9 May 1980 - 21 Oct 1981 (+2006) ND
Andreas G. Papandreou               21 Oct 1981 -  2 Jul 1989 (+1996) PASOK
Tzannis P. Tzannetakis        	     2 Jul 1989 - 11 Oct 1989 (+2010) ND 
Ioannis Grivas             	    11 Oct 1989 - 23 Nov 1989         n/p (acting)
Xenophon E. Zolotas                 23 Nov 1989 - 11 Apr 1990 (+2004) n/p (6)
Konstantinos K. Mitsotakis          11 Apr 1990 - 13 Oct 1993         ND
Andreas G. Papandreou               13 Oct 1993 - 22 Jan 1996 (+1996) PASOK
 Akis Tsohatzopoulos                20 Nov 1995 - 22 Jan 1996         PASOK (acting for Papandreou)  
Kostantinos G. (Kostas) Simitis     22 Jan 1996 - 10 Mar 2004         PASOK
Konstantinos A. (Kostas) Karamanlis 10 Mar 2004 -  6 Oct 2009         ND
Georgios A. Papandreou (jr.)         6 Oct 2009 - 11 Nov 2011         PASOK
Loukas Papademos                    11 Nov 2011 - 16 May 2012         n/p
Panagiotis Pikrammenos              16 May 2012 -                     n/p (interim)

(4) Civilian prime minister under military rule.
(5) Col. G. Papadopoulos chaired the military junta, also formed by Col. Nikolaos Makarezos and Brig. Stylianos Pattakos.
(6) Non-party prime minister but head of a multy-party coalition government.

Ministers of Foreign Affairs

Ioannis Sophianopoulos              1945      (+1951) AK
Petros Voulgaris                    1945      (+1957) military
Ioannis Politis                     1945      (+1959)
Panaiotis Kanellopoulos             1945      (+1986) EEK
Ioannis Sophianopoulos              1945-1946 (+1951) AK
Konstantinos Rentis                 1946      (+1958)
Konstantinos S. Tsaldaris           1946-1950 (+1970) LK 
Panaiotis Pipinelis                 1950      (+1970)
Sophoklis E. Venizelos              1950      (+1964) KF
Nikolaos Plastiras                  1950      (+1953) EPEK
Sophoklis E. Venizelos              1950-1951 (+1964) KF
Ioannis Politis                     1951      (+1959)
Sophoklis E. Venizelos              1951-1952 (+1964) KF
Philippos Dragoumis                 1952      (+1980)
Stephanos C. Stephanopoulos         1952-1955 (+1982) ES 
Spyros Theotokis                    1955-1956 (+1988) ERE
Evangelos Averoff-Tositsas          1956-1958 (+1990) ERE
Michail Pesmazoglou                 1958      (+1983) ERE
Evangelos Averoff-Tositsas          1958-1961 (+1990) ERE
Michail Pesmazoglou                 1961      (+1983) ERE
Evangelos Averoff-Tositsas          1961-1963 (+1990) ERE
Panaiotis Pipinelis                 1963      (+1970) 
Pavlos Oikonomou-Gouras             1963      (+1991)
Sophoklis E. Venizelos              1963      (+1964) KF
Christos Xanthopoulos-Palamas       1963-1964 (+1977)
Stavros Kostopoulos                 1964-1965 (+1968)
Georgios Melas                      1965      (+1985)
Elias I. Tsirimokos                 1965-1966 (+1968) n/p
Stephanos C. Stephanopoulos         1966      (+1982) FDK
Ioannis Toumbas                     1966      (+1995)
Pavlos Oikonomou-Gouras             1966-1967 (+1991)
Panaiotis Kanellopoulos             1967      (+1986) ERE
Pavlos Oikonomou-Gouras             1967      (+1991)
Konstantinos V. Kollias             1967      (+1998) n/p  
Panaiotis Pipinelis                 1967-1971 (+1970) 
Georgios C. Papadopoulos            1971-1973 (+1999) military
Christos Xanthopoulos-Palamas       1973      (+1977)
Spiridon Tetenes                    1973-1974
Konstantinos Kypraios               1974              (acting)
Georgios Mavros                     1974      (+1995)
Dimitrios Bitsios                   1974-1977 (+1984) ND
Panaiotis Papaligouras              1977-1978 (+1993) ND
Georgios I. Rallis                  1978-1980 (+2006) ND
Konstantinos K. Mitsotakis          1980-1981         ND 
Ioannis Charalambopoulos            1981-1985         PASOK 
Karolos G. Papoulias                1985-1989         PASOK 
Tzannis P. Tzannetakis              1989      (+2010) ND 
Georgios Papoulias                  1989      (+2009)sn/p (acting)
Antonis Samaras                     1989-1990         ND 
Georgios Papoulias                  1990      (+2009)sn/p
Antonis Samaras                     1990-1992         ND 
Konstantinos K. Mitsotakis          1992              ND  
Michalis Papakonstantinou           1992-1993 (+2010) ND 
Karolos G. Papoulias                1993-1996         PASOK  
Theodoros Pangalos                  1996-1999         PASOK  
Georgios A. Papandreou (jr.)        1999-2004         PASOK 
Tassos Giannitsis                   2004              PASOK (acting)
Petros Molyviatis                   2004-2006         ND 
Dora Bakoyannis                     2006-2009         ND
Georgios A. Papandreou (jr.)        2009-2010         PASOK 
Dimitrios Droutsas                  2010-2011         PASOK
Stavros Lambrinidis                 2011              PASOK
Stavros Dimas                       2011-2012         ND
Petros Molyviatis                   2012-             n/p (interim)

(Source: Rulers, by Ben Schemmel)

Chairmen of PASOK

Andreas G. Papandreou               1974-1996 (+)     
Kostantinos G. (Kostas) Simitis     1996-2004          
Georgios A. Papandreou (jr.)        2004-2012
Evangelos Venizelos                 2012-

Chairmen of ND

Konstantinos G. Karamanlis          1974-1980 (+1998) 
Georgios I. Rallis                  1980-1981 (+2006) 
Evangelos Averoff-Tositsas          1981-1984 (+1990)
Konstantinos K. Mitsotakis          1984-1993          
Miltiadis Evert                     1993-1997 (+2011)       
Konstantinos A. (Kostas) Karamanlis 1997-2009
Antonis Samaras                     2009-

General Secretaries of KKE

Nikolaos Zachariadis                1945-1956 (+1973)
Apostolos Grozos                    1956      (+1981)
Konstantinos Koligiannis            1956-1972
Harilaos Florakis                   1972-1989 (+2005) 
Grigoris Farakos                    1989-1991 (+2007)       
Alexandra (Aleka) Papariga          1991-

Chairman of DIKKI

Dimitrios K. Tsovolas               1995-2004

DIKKI was formed on 20 Dec 1995 by splinters of PASOK.

Chairmen of SYP

Maria Damanaki                      1991-1993         
Nikolaos (Nikos) Konstantopoulos    1993-2004
Alexandros (Alekos) Alavanos        2004-2008       
Alexis Tsipras                      2008-

Synaspismos appeared first in 1989 as a leftist electoral coalition led by the KKE and also formed by the Green Left (EA) and splinters of PASOK. In 1991 the KKE left the coalition and Synaspismos became a political party properly. Since 2004 SYP is part of the multi-party Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza).

Chairman of LAOS

Georgios Karatzaferis               2000-

LAOS was founded on 14 Sep 2000.

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