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Vangelis Meimarakis

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Vangelis Meimarakis
NameVangelis Meimarakis
OfficeSpeaker of the Hellenic Parliament
Term start6 July 2012
Term end4 October 2015
PredecessorVyron Polydoras
SuccessorNikos Voutsis
Office2Minister for National Defence
Term start215 February 2006
Term end27 October 2009
Primeminister2Kostas Karamanlis
Predecessor2Spilios Spiliotopoulos
Successor2Evangelos Venizelos
Birth date12 December 1953
Birth placeAthens, Kingdom of Greece
PartyNew Democracy
Alma materNational and Kapodistrian University of Athens
ProfessionLawyer

Vangelis Meimarakis is a prominent Greek politician and lawyer who has served in several high-ranking governmental and parliamentary roles. A long-standing member of the New Democracy party, his career includes serving as Minister for National Defence and as Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament. Meimarakis also served as the interim president of New Democracy following the party's defeat in the January 2015 election and was its candidate for Prime Minister in the subsequent September 2015 snap election.

Early life and education

Vangelis Meimarakis was born on 12 December 1953 in Athens. He hails from a family with roots in Rethymno on the island of Crete. He completed his secondary education at the prestigious Varvakeio Model School before pursuing higher studies in law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. After graduating, he fulfilled his mandatory military service in the Hellenic Army and subsequently established a successful legal practice in Athens, specializing in commercial law.

Political career

Meimarakis entered politics in the late 1980s, being first elected as a member of the Hellenic Parliament for the New Democracy party in the 1989 election, representing the Athens B constituency. He has been consistently re-elected since, serving numerous parliamentary terms. Within the Hellenic Parliament, he held significant positions, including Chairman of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Foreign Affairs and participating in key committees on European Union affairs and public administration.

Leadership of New Democracy

Following the resignation of Antonis Samaras after New Democracy's defeat in the January 2015 election, Meimarakis was elected as the party's interim president in January 2015. He led the party through a period of political realignment during the Greek government-debt crisis and the tumultuous negotiations surrounding the Third Economic Adjustment Programme for Greece. As party leader, he contested the September 2015 snap election as New Democracy's candidate for Prime Minister, ultimately finishing second behind Alexis Tsipras and the Coalition of the Radical Left.

Ministerial positions

His most prominent ministerial role was as the Minister for National Defence in the cabinet of Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, serving from February 2006 to October 2009. During his tenure, he oversaw major procurement programs, including the acquisition of F-16 aircraft and frigates, and managed Greece's military relations within NATO and with neighboring countries. Earlier, he had served as Deputy Minister of the Interior, Public Administration, and Decentralization from 2004 to 2006.

Electoral history

Meimarakis has been a candidate in numerous national elections. He was first elected to parliament in the 1989 election and was re-elected in every subsequent election, including those in 1990, 1993, 1996, and 2000. His most notable electoral contests as party leader were the January 2015 and September 2015 elections, where New Democracy placed second. He also led the party's list for the 2014 European Parliament election.

Personal life

Meimarakis is married to journalist Rena Dourou and has two children. He is known for his deep connection to Crete and is an avid supporter of the major Athens football club Panathinaikos. Beyond politics, he maintains an active interest in modern Greek history and constitutional law. He has authored several articles and opinion pieces on political and defense issues for major Greek newspapers like Kathimerini and To Vima.

Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:New Democracy (Greece) politicians Category:Speakers of the Hellenic Parliament Category:Greek defence ministers Category:Members of the Hellenic Parliament Category:Greek lawyers