George Vasiliou
Encyclopedia
Georgios Vasos Vassiliou (born 1931 in Famagusta
, Cyprus) was the third President of the Republic of Cyprus
from 1988 to 1993. He was also the founder and leader of the Cypriot United Democrats
party (EDI) and a highly successful businessman.
Vassiliou's father Vasos was a member of the central committee of AKEL
, the Cypriot Communist party. He was a doctor by profession, and volunteered as a doctor on the side of the Communists in the Greek Civil War
. During the civil war, the rest of the Vassiliou family settled in Hungary. Vassiliou himself went to university in Hungary
and was a student of Imre Nagy
.
He fled Hungary following the Soviet invasion and continued his studies in London.
He was elected president as an independent candidate with support from AKEL in 1988, succeeding Spyros Kyprianou
, who had served two presidential terms. During his time in office, Cyprus experienced economic growth and he was responsible for a number of reforms including stopping the police practice of keeping files on Cypriot citizens' political beliefs. He worked towards a negotiated solution to the Cyprus dispute
based on the Ghali
set of ideas, although the dispute remained unresolved by the time he left office in 1993.
After he lost the 1993 elections
to Glafkos Klerides
, he founded the Free Democrats Movement and he was elected president of the party. He was elected member of the Cypriot Parliamient, while his political party won two seats (out of 56) in the Parliamentary Elections in 1996. The same year the party was merged with the political party ADISOK and formed a new party United Democrats
. He elected as well president of United Democrats and remained president until 2005. In the Parliamentary Elections of 2001
his party lost one of its seats and he wasn't re-elected. Following the Cyprus referendum of 2004 in which he was a strong supporter of the Annan Plan
he resigned from the presidency of United Democrats
.
He has also served as Chief Negotiator for the accession of Cyprus to the European Union
from 1998 to 2003.
George Vassiliou takes active part in international political and social organizations and events. He is currently Member of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
, jointly chaired by Poland's ex-President Aleksander Kwaśniewski
and President of the European Jewish Congress
Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor
. ECTR is designed to monitor tolerance in Europe and prepare recommendations to national governments and IGOs in respect of fighting xenophobia
, extremism
and anti-Semitism
.
Vassiliou has three children and is married to Androulla Vassiliou
.
Famagusta
Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located east of Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island.-Name:...
, Cyprus) was the third President of the Republic of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
from 1988 to 1993. He was also the founder and leader of the Cypriot United Democrats
United Democrats
The United Democrats is a liberal political party in Cyprus. The party was founded by former President of Cyprus George Vasiliou in 1993 as "Kinima Eleftheron Dimokraton"...
party (EDI) and a highly successful businessman.
Vassiliou's father Vasos was a member of the central committee of AKEL
Progressive Party of Working People
The Progressive Party of Working People is a communist party in Cyprus. It supports an independent, demilitarized and non-aligned Cyprus, and a federal solution of the internal aspect of the Cyprus problem. It places particular emphasis on rapprochement with the Turkish Cypriots. It supported...
, the Cypriot Communist party. He was a doctor by profession, and volunteered as a doctor on the side of the Communists in the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
. During the civil war, the rest of the Vassiliou family settled in Hungary. Vassiliou himself went to university in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and was a student of Imre Nagy
Imre Nagy
Imre Nagy was a Hungarian communist politician who was appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People's Republic of Hungary on two occasions...
.
He fled Hungary following the Soviet invasion and continued his studies in London.
He was elected president as an independent candidate with support from AKEL in 1988, succeeding Spyros Kyprianou
Spyros Kyprianou
Spyros Achilleos Kyprianou was one of the most prominent politicians of modern Cyprus. He served as the second President of the Republic of Cyprus from 1977 to 1988....
, who had served two presidential terms. During his time in office, Cyprus experienced economic growth and he was responsible for a number of reforms including stopping the police practice of keeping files on Cypriot citizens' political beliefs. He worked towards a negotiated solution to the Cyprus dispute
Cyprus dispute
The Cyprus dispute is the result of the ongoing conflict between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey, over the Turkish occupied northern part of Cyprus....
based on the Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1992 to December 1996...
set of ideas, although the dispute remained unresolved by the time he left office in 1993.
After he lost the 1993 elections
Elections in Cyprus
Elections in Cyprus gives information on election and election results in Cyprus.Cyprus elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The election of the President is direct, by universal suffrage and secret ballot. Voting is compulsory and every citizen over the...
to Glafkos Klerides
Glafkos Klerides
Glafcos Ioannou Clerides is a Greek-Cypriot politician and the fourth President of the Republic of Cyprus.Clerides was the eldest son of the lawyer and statesman Ioannis Clerides....
, he founded the Free Democrats Movement and he was elected president of the party. He was elected member of the Cypriot Parliamient, while his political party won two seats (out of 56) in the Parliamentary Elections in 1996. The same year the party was merged with the political party ADISOK and formed a new party United Democrats
United Democrats
The United Democrats is a liberal political party in Cyprus. The party was founded by former President of Cyprus George Vasiliou in 1993 as "Kinima Eleftheron Dimokraton"...
. He elected as well president of United Democrats and remained president until 2005. In the Parliamentary Elections of 2001
Cypriot legislative election, 2001
Parliamentary elections were held in Cyprus on 27 May 2001. The result was a victory for AKEL, which won 20 of the 56 seats. Voter turnout was 91.8%.-Results:...
his party lost one of its seats and he wasn't re-elected. Following the Cyprus referendum of 2004 in which he was a strong supporter of the Annan Plan
Annan Plan for Cyprus
The Annan Plan was a United Nations proposal to resolve the Cyprus dispute, reuniting the breakaway Northern Cyprus with the Republic of Cyprus. The proposal was to restructure Cyprus as the "United Cyprus Republic", which would be a federation of two states. It was revised a number of times before...
he resigned from the presidency of United Democrats
United Democrats
The United Democrats is a liberal political party in Cyprus. The party was founded by former President of Cyprus George Vasiliou in 1993 as "Kinima Eleftheron Dimokraton"...
.
He has also served as Chief Negotiator for the accession of Cyprus to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
from 1998 to 2003.
George Vassiliou takes active part in international political and social organizations and events. He is currently Member of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation was established in Paris, France on October 7, 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe...
, jointly chaired by Poland's ex-President Aleksander Kwaśniewski
Aleksander Kwasniewski
Aleksander Kwaśniewski is a Polish politician who served as the President of Poland from 1995 to 2005. He was born in Białogard, and during communist rule he was active in the Socialist Union of Polish Students and was the Minister for Sport in the communist government in the 1980s...
and President of the European Jewish Congress
European Jewish Congress
The European Jewish Congress, , was founded in 1986. It is based in Paris, with offices in Brussels, Strasbourg, Berlin and Budapest...
Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor
Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor
Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor is a prominent public figure, businessman and philanthropist who actively participates in the promotion of tolerance and reconciliation in the modern world. He is also engaged in discussing and elaborating ways to stop nuclear proliferation and prevent a nuclear catastrophe...
. ECTR is designed to monitor tolerance in Europe and prepare recommendations to national governments and IGOs in respect of fighting xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
, extremism
Extremism
Extremism is any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
and anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
.
Vassiliou has three children and is married to Androulla Vassiliou
Androulla Vassiliou
Androulla Vassiliou is a Cypriot and European politician who was the European Commissioner for Health, confirmed by the European Council on 3 March 2008...
.