(ANSA-AFP) - ATHENS, FEB 12 - Greek lawmakers on Wednesday
elected a close ally of conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos
Mitsotakis as the country's president and head of state.
Constantine Tassoulas, 65, the former chief of parliament,
replaces outgoing President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, a former
senior judge, for a five-year term. In Greece the post of the
head of state is largely ceremonial, with candidates nominated
by the premier. Tassoulas had been head of parliament since
Mitsotakis was elected in 2019 and is considered close to the
conservative New Democracy party's nationalist wing. Accepting
the nomination last month, he called it a "paramount honour and
responsibility". The lawyer and father of two is a political
veteran, first elected as a lawmaker in 2000 and having since
served as culture minister, deputy defence minister and party
general secretary in parliament. But it took four rounds of
voting to elect Tassoulas, with the ruling New Democracy party
unable to deliver the support of the 200 MPs originally needed.
Mitsotakis last month praised Tassoulas's "integrity" and "deep
knowledge of Greek history". (ANSA-AFP).
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
