Costis Stephanopoulos
Encyclopedia
Konstantinos Stephanopoulos was the sixth President of the Third Hellenic Republic
.
Stephanopoulos was born in Patras
. After attending the Saint Andrew school of Patras, he studied law at Athens University
. He practiced law from 1954 until 1974 as a member of the Bar Association of Patras
.
He first stood for election in 1958
, with the National Radical Union
and was elected for the first time as Member of Parliament
for Achaia in 1964
. He was re-elected for the same constituency for New Democracy
(ND) in 1974
, 1977
, 1981
and 1985
. He served as ND parliamentary secretary and parliamentary spokesman between 1981 and 1985.
In 1974, Stephanopoulos was appointed Deputy Minister of Commerce in the National Unity government of Constantine Karamanlis
. For the next seven years he served in a number of ministerial posts in New Democracy governments: Minister for the Interior
from November 1974 to September 1976; Minister for Social Services from September 1976 to November 1977; Minister for the Presidency from 1977 to 1981.
In August 1985 he withdrew from the ND and on September 6 of the same year formed the Democratic Renewal
(DIANA). He was elected Member of Parliament for Athens in the elections of 1989
while continuing as president of DIΑΝΑ, until it disbanded in June 1994.
In the presidential election of 1995, after being nominated by the conservative party Political Spring
and supported by the ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement
(PASOK), he was elected President of Greece
on March 8, 1995. He became the eighth President since the restoration of a democratic system of government in 1974, winning the election on a third ballot with 181 votes. He was re-elected President of Greece on February 8, 2000, on the first ballot after receiving 269 votes from the 298 MPs present, and remained in office until March 2, 2005, when he was succeeded by Karolos Papoulias
.
As a President he was known for his low-key profile, unifying approach to current and international affairs, and gentlemanlike behaviour. During his presidency, he was consistently the most popular public figure in Greece.
As Head of State of the host country, he officially declared the XXVIII Olympiad in Athens open, on August 13, 2004. During the Olympic Games in 2004, he accepted the former King Constantine II of Greece
at the Presidential palace. It was the highest political recognition given to the former king since he was deposed in 1967.
President of Greece
The President of the Hellenic Republic , colloquially referred to in English as the President of Greece, is the head of state of Greece. The office of the President of the Republic was established after the Greek republic referendum, 1974 and formally by the Constitution of Greece in 1975. The...
.
Stephanopoulos was born in Patras
Patras
Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
. After attending the Saint Andrew school of Patras, he studied law at Athens University
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is the oldest university in Southeast Europe and has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837. Today, it is the second-largest institution of higher learning in Greece,...
. He practiced law from 1954 until 1974 as a member of the Bar Association of Patras
Patras
Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
.
He first stood for election in 1958
Greek legislative election, 1958
The Greek legislative election of the 11 May 1958 resulted in the second consecutive victory for Constantine Karamanlis and his National Radical Union party....
, with the National Radical Union
National Radical Union
The National Radical Union was a Greek political party formed in 1955 by Konstantinos Karamanlis out of the Greek Rally party....
and was elected for the first time as Member of Parliament
Hellenic Parliament
The Hellenic Parliament , also the Parliament of the Hellenes, is the Parliament of Greece, located in the Parliament House , overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece....
for Achaia in 1964
Greek legislative election, 1964
The Greek legislative election of the 19 February 1964 resulted in a clear victory for Georgios Papandreou and his Center Union party.Georgios Papandreou had formed an interim government just after the legislative elections of 1963, in order to carry out new elections, because no party had the...
. He was re-elected for the same constituency for New Democracy
New Democracy (Greece)
New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic...
(ND) in 1974
Greek legislative election, 1974
The first free elections since 1964 and after the end of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974 took place in Greece on November 17, 1974 during the metapolitefsi....
, 1977
Greek legislative election, 1977
In the Greek legislative election, 1977, Prime Minister, Constantine Karamanlis, called for early elections. His party, New Democracy, suffered a significant loss of power, but, nevertheless, Karamanlis managed to secure an absolute majority in the Parliament. The big surprise was the success of...
, 1981
Greek legislative election, 1981
The Greek legislative election held on 18 October 1981 marked a new era in the modern history of Greece.Panhellenic Socialist Movement , led by Andreas Papandreou, faced New Democracy, led by Georgios Rallis. Papandreou achieved a landslide and PASOK formed the first socialistic government in the...
and 1985
Greek legislative election, 1985
Legislative elections were held in the Hellenic Republic on 2 June, 1985. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek parliament, the Voule.The ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Andreas Papandreou, was re-elected, defeating the conservative New Democracy party of Constantine Mitsotakis ....
. He served as ND parliamentary secretary and parliamentary spokesman between 1981 and 1985.
In 1974, Stephanopoulos was appointed Deputy Minister of Commerce in the National Unity government of Constantine Karamanlis
Constantine Karamanlis
Konstantínos G. Karamanlís , commonly anglicised to Constantine Karamanlis or Caramanlis, was a four-time Prime Minister, the 3rd and 5th President of the Third Hellenic Republic and a towering figure of Greek politics whose political career spanned much of the latter half of the 20th century.-...
. For the next seven years he served in a number of ministerial posts in New Democracy governments: Minister for the Interior
Minister for the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralisation (Greece)
The Ministry of the Interior is a government department of Greece. Occasionally the office has been combined with that of the Ministry for Public Order...
from November 1974 to September 1976; Minister for Social Services from September 1976 to November 1977; Minister for the Presidency from 1977 to 1981.
In August 1985 he withdrew from the ND and on September 6 of the same year formed the Democratic Renewal
Democratic Renewal
Democratic Renewal was a Greek political party founded by Konstantinos Stephanopoulos on September 6, 1985. It continued to exist until June 1994....
(DIANA). He was elected Member of Parliament for Athens in the elections of 1989
Greek legislative election, 1989 (June)
Legislative elections were held in the Hellenic Republic on June 18, 1989. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek parliament, the Voule.The liberal-conservative New Democracy party of Constantine Mitsotakis defeated the Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Andreas Papandreou...
while continuing as president of DIΑΝΑ, until it disbanded in June 1994.
In the presidential election of 1995, after being nominated by the conservative party Political Spring
Political Spring
Political Spring is a former Greek conservative political party founded in June 1993 by Antonis Samaras. The party was formed after Antonis Samaras broke away from the New Democracy after being dismissed as Foreign Minister over the Macedonian question....
and supported by the ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement
Panhellenic Socialist Movement
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement , known mostly by its acronym PASOK , is one of the two major political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic party to win a majority in parliament.The party is a socialist party...
(PASOK), he was elected President of Greece
President of Greece
The President of the Hellenic Republic , colloquially referred to in English as the President of Greece, is the head of state of Greece. The office of the President of the Republic was established after the Greek republic referendum, 1974 and formally by the Constitution of Greece in 1975. The...
on March 8, 1995. He became the eighth President since the restoration of a democratic system of government in 1974, winning the election on a third ballot with 181 votes. He was re-elected President of Greece on February 8, 2000, on the first ballot after receiving 269 votes from the 298 MPs present, and remained in office until March 2, 2005, when he was succeeded by Karolos Papoulias
Karolos Papoulias
-Honours:*Knight Grand Cross with Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic *Knight Grand Cross of the Grand Order of King Tomislav *Knight of the Order of the Elephant- External links :*...
.
As a President he was known for his low-key profile, unifying approach to current and international affairs, and gentlemanlike behaviour. During his presidency, he was consistently the most popular public figure in Greece.
As Head of State of the host country, he officially declared the XXVIII Olympiad in Athens open, on August 13, 2004. During the Olympic Games in 2004, he accepted the former King Constantine II of Greece
Constantine II of Greece
|align=right|Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973, the sixth and last monarch of the Greek Royal Family....
at the Presidential palace. It was the highest political recognition given to the former king since he was deposed in 1967.
Honours and awards
Stephanopoulos has received many honorary awards and the highest decorations of foreign countries. He is an honorary citizen of many Greek towns.- Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav (Norway, 2004)
- Order of the White Eagle (Poland, 1996)
- Knight Grand Cross with Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Italian RepublicOrder of Merit of the Italian RepublicThe Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
(January 23, 2001) - Grand Order of King TomislavGrand Order of King TomislavThe Grand Order of King Tomislav , or more fully the Grand Order of King Tomislav with Sash and Great Morning Star , is the highest state order of the Republic of Croatia...
("For outstanding contribution to promoting friendly relations and developing mutual cooperation between the Republic of Croatia and the Hellenic Republic." – December 3, 1998): Received a copy of the key of the city of TiranaTiranaTirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
on the occasion of his state visit to Albania.