Prokopis Pavlopoulos

Prokopios "Prokopis" Pavlopoulos (, ; born 10 July 1950) is a Greek retired politician, who served as the president of Greece from 2015 to 2020. A member of New Democracy, he previously was Minister of the Interior from 2004 to 2009. He was succeeded by Katerina Sakellaropoulou on 13 March 2020, who became the first woman to serve as President of Greece.

Academic career Prokopis Pavlopoulos was born in Kalamata to high school principal and classics teacher Vasilios Pavlopoulos and grew up in the same city. After finishing school in his home town, he entered the Law School of the University of Athens in 1968.

Political career Early political career Pavlopoulos was secretary to the first President of the metapolitefsi, Michail Stasinopoulos, in 1974. From November 1989 to April 1990, he served as alternate Minister for the Presidency and government spokesman in the ecumenical government headed by Xenophon Zolotas. In the government appointed following New Democracy's victory in the September 2007 parliamentary election, the Interior Ministry was merged with the Ministry of Public Order; Pavlopoulous became Minister of the Interior and Public Order.

He is a member of the Central Committee of New Democracy, and on 29 July 2004 he was designated as a member of the party's Political Council as one of seven MP candidates; no vote was necessary because there were only seven MP seats available on the Council.

President of Greece (2015–2020)

Pavlopoulos with U.S. President Barack Obama, 15 November 2016 On 17 February, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras nominated Pavlopoulos as the ruling Syriza–ANEL coalition's candidate for the post of President of Greece in the presidential election that had begun in December 2014. On 18 February 2015, backed by Syriza, ANEL and his own New Democracy party, Pavlopoulos was elected by the Hellenic Parliament as the new President of Greece with 233 votes in favour. He succeeded Karolos Papoulias after the end of the latter's term on 13 March 2015.

Personal life Pavlopoulos is married to Vlassia Pavlopoulou-Peltsemi and together they have two daughters, Maria and Zoe, and one son, Vasilis.

David Davis, the son of Katherine, Crown Princess of Yugoslavia (and her husband Alexander Davis), is a godchild of President Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

Honours Grand Collar of the Order of Makarios III – 30 March 2015 Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour – 22 October 2015 Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic – 23 November 2015 Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry – 27 January 2017 Knight of the Order of the White Eagle – 18 November 2017 Grand Cross of the Order of the Republic of Serbia – 15 February 2021