Antonis Samaras
Andonis Samaras (often Antonis Samaras, Greek Αντώνης Σαμαράς; * May 23, 1951 in Athens ) is a Greek politician. Since 2009 he has been Chairman of the Conservative party New Democracy ( ND) and since June 20, 2012 Greece's prime minister.
Life
The son of a Greek cardiologists graduated from Amherst College in the U.S. a degree in economics and graduated in 1976 from Harvard University with an MBA. He is married to Georgia Kritikou and has two children. He was a member of the Greek Parliament from 1977 to 1996 and again since 2007 as a Member of the New Democracy ( ND).
Political career
Under Prime Minister Tzannis Tzannetakis he was Minister of Economic Affairs and from 1990 to 1992 Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of Konstantinos Mitsotakis. He was considered a " hawk" in the dispute over the appointment of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and other national, in its opinion questions and conjured an "orthodox axis" in the Balkans.
Because of his unwillingness to compromise in the Macedonian question In 1992 he was dismissed as a minister. Mitsotakis contrast used in the publicity the name Macedonia by Skopje and was a compromise compared to open, provided that the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia gives up the demand for a recognition of the Macedonian minority in Greece. 1992 wrote Samaras to the Foreign Ministers of the European Community, that the establishment of the " federal republic of Skopje after 1945 was regarded as the beginning of an annexation of the Macedonian provinces in neighboring Bulgaria and Greece " and that Tito had supported the Greek communists, "because he control of Greek Macedonia hoped for. "
Party's founding
Samaras formed his own party Politiki Anixi (Greek Πολιτική Άνοιξη, Political Spring ' ) to the right of the New Democracy party. He led thereby cause the end of the reign of his former mentor Mitsotakis and after the parliamentary elections of 1993, the return of the opposition party PASOK to power.
The "Political Spring" in 1993 reached 4.9% of the vote and ten seats in the Greek Parliament in the parliamentary elections. In the elections for the European Parliament in 1994, he won with 8.7% two seats. Its decline began with the Greek parliamentary elections in 1996 in which he failed with 2.94% short of the three- percent threshold for entering parliament. In the elections of 1999 he obtained with 2.3% also no seat at the Greek parliamentary elections of 2000 did not take part of the "Political Spring", Samaras publicly supported the New Democracy. This was seen by many as an attempt at reconciliation, to allow his return to the party and the continuation of his political career.
Return to the New Democracy
Before the Greek parliamentary elections of 2004, Samaras rejoined New Democracy and became the MEP elected in the 2004 European elections.
In the Greek parliamentary elections in 2007 Samaras was elected Messinia in the Greek parliament, and therefore resigned from the European Parliament. In January 2009, he was Minister of Culture in 2009 following a government reshuffle until the election in October. After the electoral defeat of New Democracy, he ran - among others against the former Foreign Minister Dora Bakogianni - for the party presidency. On 29 November 2009 he was elected by direct vote of party members. Up to the early parliamentary election in Greece on May 6, 2012, he was of Greek opposition leader.
The PASOK of 2009-2011 led by Papandreou government (Cabinet Minister Giorgos Papandreou ) lost due to the required by the financial crisis, austerity and the economic recession soon to support. Samaras a long time refused to support demanded by the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the ECB austerity and reform measures and called for new elections. ND participated limited also to the transitional government of Loukas Papademos and under the condition speedy elections. In the election on 6 May 2012, the New Democracy was, even though they the worst election result achieved with 18.9 per cent since its inception, again the strongest party. The mandate to form a coalition government, he received constitutionally as the leader of the strongest faction of President Karolos Papoulias, he was just a few hours back. After the chairman of the second and third strongest force Alexis Tsipras ( SYRIZA ) and Evangelos Venizelos (PASOK ), failed to form a government, the parliament dissolved again and thus brought about new elections.
Samaras received during the election campaign by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President François Hollande, the Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and other European leaders support from the warning to the Greek voters, a victory of SYRIZA put the fate of the country in the euro zone in question. However, it is not excluded that these threats have contributed to the strengthening of SYRIZA party.
Election as Prime Minister of Greece
In the parliamentary elections on 17 June 2012, the ND was 29.7 percent, once again the strongest force in comparison to the election of 6 May 2012, it increased by 10.8 percentage points. The party SYRIZA Alexis Tsipras, who had campaigned for an end to austerity measures, was 26.9 percent, in turn, the second strongest. Nevertheless reached with ND and PASOK, the two parties a parliamentary majority (162 to 138 seats), which wanted to maintain the chosen austerity measures and the implementation of reforms. After ND and PASOK had agreed with the Democratic Left to form a government, Samaras was sworn in on 20 June 2012 as the Prime Minister of Greece. One of the main objectives of Samaras is the extension of the time frame of EU assistance loans. Samaras wants the country, especially in the civil service, keeping at the same time on austerity and also in the Euro - zone.
After Samaras had arranged without consultation with its Koaltionspartnern the immediate closure of the public broadcasting ERT, the DIMAR left the government. Samaras, she continued as a grand coalition with PASOK, whose leader Evangelos Venizelos came as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in the government.