Kostas Karamanlis

Konstantinos Alexandrou Karamanlis (Greek Κωνσταντίνος Αλεξάνδρου Καραμανλής, in the commonly used short form Kostas; born 14 September 1956 in Athens ) is a Greek politician. He was from March 2004 to October 2009 Prime Minister of Greece. From 1997 to October 2009, he was chairman of the New Democracy party.

Life

Kostas Karamanlis, nephew of former President Konstantinos Karamanlis, studied in Athens Law at the National and Kapodistrian University and economics at Deree College. He continued his studies at the Fletcher School at Tufts University in the U.S. for a PhD in Politics and International Relations.

Karamanlis joined the youth wing of the party ONNED New Democracy and worked from 1974 to 1979 and 1984 to 1989 organizations ONNED and the New Democracy. He wrote historical essays and a book about Eleftherios Venizelos.

Karamanlis married in 1998 Natasa Pazaitis and is since 2003 one daughter and one son ( twins).

Political career

In 1989 he moved as a deputy for a New Democracy to the Greek Parliament. In 1997 he became chairman of his party. In the parliamentary elections in 2000, he narrowly lost against the PASOK party.

First government (2004-2007)

After the victory in the parliamentary elections on 7 March 2004, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK ) with the top candidate Giorgos Papandreou, Karamanlis was the successor of Costas Simitis in the Office of the Prime Minister and is the youngest in the modern history of Greece. On March 8, 2004, he was asked to form a new government by the President Konstantinos Stephanopoulos. A day later, on 9 March 2004, he presented his new government team. As the new foreign minister, he appointed the diplomat Petros Molyviatis. This is considered an expert on the Cyprus issue and was confidant of Konstantinos Karamanlis. The new Greek government had 19 ministers, including two women. Karamanlis said after his election, the preparations for the Olympic Games in August 2004 in Athens a top priority.

Second government (2007-2009)

On September 16, 2007 Karamanlis defended at an early parliamentary election on his decision to go with his party in first place in the political spectrum. This ensured the ND on the basis of the Greek electoral law a majority of seats in parliament. The election was overshadowed by the fire disaster of late summer 2007.

On 23 January 2008 Karamanlis was the first in 49 years, Greek Prime Minister, who visited Turkey (see international relations ( Greece) and Turkish foreign policy ).

September 3, 2009 Karamanlis announced parliamentary elections for October 4. He cited the economic situation. After the landslide victory of the opposition PASOK Karamanlis announced his resignation as party leader of the ND.

Real estate scandal in 2008

The Karamanlis government was rocked by a scandal involving Stark controversial real estate transactions between the Greek State and the Athos Monastery of Vatopedi. The monastery took possession claims on which he claims to nearly 1000 years ago by the Byzantine emperors bequeathed Vistonida lake. Although these claims of the monastery were doubtful, they were recognized by the state: In exchange for the lake with its entire water surface and all the shore land the monastery received 260 high-value land in the developed tourism areas, even in the Olympic village in Athens, some of which immediately resold it at a profit. " You have the state of the lake - that is 'air' sold - and it get valuable offices, land and building in Athens to exchange " criticized the opposition. The damage caused to the State by the fact that the space occupied by the monastery lakeside plots strongly overvalued exchange and state land was undervalued, is estimated at 100 million euros. The real estate scandal led to the resignation of the first involved in the real estate business Handelsmarineminsters Giorgos Voulgarakis. Two prosecutors resigned because they had been hampered by the government in its investigation activity. Under heavy fire of the opposition also got the government spokesman Minister of State Theodoros Rousopoulos, a friend of Vatopedi Abbot Ephraim, and at the same time close confidant of the prime minister, who resigned on 23 October 2008. The real estate scandal as is generally the crisis-ridden financial situation of the country were the main reasons that Karamanlis announced early elections.

Election defeat in 2009

In the parliamentary elections on October 4, 2009 Karamanlis government lost its majority. His party New Democracy lost one about 8 percentage points to around 33.5 per cent only 91 seats. Karamanlis came back immediately after the election as party chairman.

Awards

  • 2004: Grand Cross of the Norwegian Order of Merit
  • 2007: Grand Gold Medal with Ribbon for Services to the Republic of Austria
September 14 New Democracy (Greece) The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy Greek legislative election, 2000 Greek legislative election, 2004 George Papandreou Greek legislative election, 2007 Greek legislative election, 2009 Lake Vistonida Georgios Voulgarakis Royal Norwegian Order of Merit List of Prime Ministers of Greece Dora Bakoyannis Dimitris Sioufas Georgios Souflias Panos Panagiotopoulos Nikitas Kaklamanis Second Cabinet of Kostas Karamanlis Evripidis Stylianidis Kostis Chatzidakis Georgios Rallis Evangelos Averoff Konstantinos Mitsotakis
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