Katerina Sakellaropoulou: Greece’s 1st woman president

By Magda Panoutsopoulou

ATHENS (AA) - A few days ago, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis nominated Katerina Sakellaropoulou as the country’s new president.

Sakellaropoulou was elected on Wednesday in a rare political consensus that made her the first woman president in Greece’s history.

She won the support of 261 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament.

Sakellaropoulou, a former judge, was backed by the ruling New Democracy party, left-wing Radical Coalition of the Left (Syriza) party and the center-left Movement for Change alliance.

She will serve for the next five years starting on March 13, replacing current President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, when his term comes to an end.

Sakellaropoulou 63, was born in Thessaloniki and completed her studies at the University of Athens Law School. Her family is originally from northern Xanthi province in Western Thrace region.

The daughter of a Supreme Court judge, Sakellaropoulou completed postgraduate studies at Paris's Sorbonne University in France while taking a leave of absence from her Council of State duties.

She was also the first woman to head the Council of State when she was appointed in 2018, when Syriza was ruling the country.

Sakellaropoulou has extensive experience in teaching, and has also served as an consultant at the Foreign Ministry, as well as an office bearer of the judges' union.

Apart from her love to animals, Sakellaropoulou has sensitivity towards the environment and held the position of the president of the Hellenic Society for Environmental Law since 2015.

She has worked on cases of environmental concern, such as the diversion of Acheloos River in Thessaly and the preservation of the historic refugee buildings on Alexandras Avenue.

Sakellaropoulou was an active social media user till her nomination for the presidency.

She has written several books and articles over issues of constitutional law and environmental law. She is fluent in English and French languages.

Sakellaropoulou is divorced and mother of a daughter.