Antonis Samaras
Antonis Samaras (Greek: Αντώνης Σαμαράς, pronounced [anˈdonis samaˈɾas]; born 23 May 1951) is a Greek politician who served as 14th Prime Minister of Greece from 2012 to 2015. A member of the New Democracy party, he was its president from 2009 until 2015. Samaras started his national political career as Minister of Finance in 1989; he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1989 to 1992 (with a brief interruption in 1990) and Minister of Culture in 2009.
Antonis Samaras | |
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| Αντώνης Σαμαράς | |
Samaras in 2014 | |
| Prime Minister of Greece | |
| In office 20 June 2012 – 26 January 2015 | |
| President | Karolos Papoulias |
| Deputy | Evangelos Venizelos |
| Preceded by | Panagiotis Pikrammenos |
| Succeeded by | Alexis Tsipras |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 26 January 2015 – 5 July 2015 | |
| Prime Minister | Alexis Tsipras |
| Preceded by | Alexis Tsipras |
| Succeeded by | Vangelis Meimarakis |
| In office 30 November 2009 – 20 June 2012 | |
| Prime Minister | George Papandreou Lucas Papademos Panagiotis Pikrammenos |
| Preceded by | Kostas Karamanlis |
| Succeeded by | Alexis Tsipras |
| President of New Democracy | |
| In office 30 November 2009 – 5 July 2015 | |
| Deputy | Stavros Dimas Dimitris Avramopoulos |
| Preceded by | Kostas Karamanlis |
| Succeeded by | Vangelis Meimarakis |
| Minister of Culture | |
| In office 8 January 2009 – 6 October 2009 | |
| Prime Minister | Kostas Karamanlis |
| Preceded by | Michalis Liapis |
| Succeeded by | Pavlos Geroulanos (Culture and Tourism) |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 11 April 1990 – 13 April 1992 | |
| Prime Minister | Konstantinos Mitsotakis |
| Preceded by | Georgios Papoulias |
| Succeeded by | Konstantinos Mitsotakis |
| In office 23 November 1989 – 16 February 1990 | |
| Prime Minister | Xenophon Zolotas |
| Preceded by | Georgios Papoulias |
| Succeeded by | Georgios Papoulias |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 2 July 1989 – 12 October 1989 | |
| Prime Minister | Tzannis Tzannetakis |
| Preceded by | Dimitris Tsovolas |
| Succeeded by | Georgios Agapitos |
| Member of the Hellenic Parliament | |
| Assumed office 16 September 2007 | |
| Constituency | Messenia |
| In office 20 November 1977 – 24 August 1996 | |
| Constituency | Messenia |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 20 July 2004 – 25 September 2007 | |
| Constituency | Greece |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 May 1951 Athens, Greece |
| Political party | New Democracy (1977–1992, 2004–present) Political Spring (1993–2004) |
| Spouse |
Georgia Kretikos (m. 1990) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Emmanouil Benakis (great-great-grandfather) Penelope Delta (great-grandmother) |
| Education | Amherst College (BA) Harvard University (MBA) |
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First term
First term
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Samaras was previously best known for a 1993 controversy in which he effectively caused the New Democracy government, of which he was a member, to fall from power. In spite of this, he rejoined the party in 2004 and was elected to its leadership in a closely fought intra-party election in late 2009. He was the seventh party leader since it was founded in 1974.