Biography

• Born on 8th March 1907 in Proti (formerly Turkish East Macedonia).
• Studied Law at the University of Athens; after his final degree (1932) practised as a lawyer in Athens.
• From 1935 to 1936 and 1946 to 1950 he was a Member of the Greek Parliament for the People’s Party. From 1946 he held various positions as a Minister (1946 Minister of Employment; 1947 Minister of Transport; 1948 first of all Minister of Transport and later also Minister for Social Affairs; 1950 Minister of Defence for 2 months; 1952–1954 Minister of Public Works and afterwards Minister of Transport).
• From 1955 to 1963 he was Greek Prime Minister after having joined the conservative National Radical Union in 1951; after his resignation he went into exile in Paris, from where he fought against the military government which had been ruling since the military coup in 1967.
• In 1974 he returned to Athens and formed the conservative party ‘New Democracy’, became its leader and was elected Prime Minister of a civil government; he held this office until 1980. He played a decisive role in the democratization of Greece and pursued with great personal commitment—against domestic opposition—the membership of Greece in the European Community which was effected in 1981. From 1980 to 1985 and from 1990 to 1995 he was Greek State President.
• Died on 23th April 1998.