Dora Bakoyannis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dora Bakoyanni
Ντόρα Μπακογιάννη
Bakoyanni in 2009
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 15 February 2006 – 6 October 2009
Prime Minister	Kostas Karamanlis
Preceded by	Petros Molyviatis
Succeeded by	George Papandreou
Mayor of Athens
In office 1 January 2003 – 14 February 2006
Preceded by	Dimitris Avramopoulos
Succeeded by	Nikitas Kaklamanis
Minister for Culture
In office 3 December 1992 – 13 October 1993
Prime Minister	Konstantinos Mitsotakis
Preceded by	Anna Benaki-Psarouda
Succeeded by	Melina Mercouri
Personal details
Born	Theodora Mitsotaki (1954-05-06) May 6, 1954 (age 71) Athens, Greece
Political party	New Democracy (Before 2010; 2012–present) Democratic Alliance (2010–2012)
Spouses	Pavlos Bakoyannis ​ ​ (m. 1974; died 1989)​ Isidoros Kouvelos ​ (m. 1998)​
Children	Alexia Kostas
Alma mater	University of Munich University of Athens

Theodora "Dora" Bakoyanni (Greek: Θεοδώρα "Ντόρα" Μπακογιάννη; born May 6, 1954) is a Greek politician. She has held several important roles in the Greek government. From 2006 to 2009, she was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece. This was the highest position a woman had held in the Cabinet of Greece at that time.

Before this, she was the Mayor of Athens from 2003 to 2006. She was the first female mayor in Athens' long history. She was also the first woman to be mayor of a city hosting the Olympic Games. From 1992 to 1993, she served as the Minister for Culture of Greece.

Early Life and Education

Dora Bakoyanni was born in Athens, Greece, in 1954. She comes from a well-known Greek political family. Her father, Konstantinos Mitsotakis, was a former Prime Minister of Greece. Her mother was Marika Mitsotakis.

Her family is from Chania, Crete. Many family members have been important politicians. Her younger brother, Kyriakos, is the current Prime Minister of Greece. She is also related to Eleftherios Venizelos, a very famous Greek leader.

Dora went to the German School of Athens. In 1968, her family had to leave Greece because of the military government. They moved to Paris, where she finished school. She later studied political science and communication at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. After returning to Greece, she studied public law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She speaks Greek, English, French, and German.

Family Connections in Greek Politics

Political Career Highlights

Dora Bakoyanni has had a long and active career in Greek politics. She has served in various important roles.

Minister for Culture: 1992–1993

In 1989, Dora Bakoyanni was elected to the Greek Parliament. She took over the seat of her late husband. She was re-elected in 1990. From December 1992 to October 1993, she served as the Minister for Culture of Greece. After this, she was re-elected to Parliament as a member of the main opposition party, New Democracy.

Mayor of Athens: 2002–2006

In 2002, Dora Bakoyanni was chosen to run for Mayor of Athens. She won the election with 60.6% of the votes. She became the first female mayor in Athens' history. As mayor, she played a big part in preparing Athens for the 2004 Summer Olympics. She was the first woman to be mayor of a city hosting the Olympic Games. In 2005, she received the World Mayor Prize for her work.

Minister of Foreign Affairs: 2006–2009

Dora Bakoyannis with Vuk Jeremić, the Foreign Minister of Serbia.

Dora Bakoyannis with Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. Secretary of State.

In February 2006, Dora Bakoyanni became the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece. This made her the highest-ranking woman in the Greek government at that time. She kept this position after the 2007 election.

As Foreign Minister, she led Greece's turn as president of the United Nations Security Council in 2006. This was during a time of international issues, like nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea. She worked to improve cooperation in the Balkans. She also traveled to the Middle East to help find solutions to problems there.

Leading the OSCE: 2009

Dora Bakoyannis (center) at an OSCE event in 2009.

From January to October 2009, Dora Bakoyanni was the Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The OSCE is a group that works for security and peace. As Chairperson, she was in charge of representing the organization. She also oversaw its work in preventing conflicts and managing crises.

Continued Political Involvement

In May 2010, Dora Bakoyanni was removed from the New Democracy party. This happened because she voted for new economic measures that the party did not support. She then became an independent member of Parliament. In November 2010, she started her own political party called the Democratic Alliance.

Later, in May 2012, her party decided to work with New Democracy again. This was because of the difficult situation in Greece before the elections. Dora Bakoyanni rejoined New Democracy on May 21, 2012. She continued to be an active voice in Greek politics.

Since 2012, she has been part of the Greek team in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. She has held important roles there, including chairing a committee on political affairs. She also worked as a reporter on the Syrian Civil War. In 2019, she ran to become the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

Other Activities and Recognition

Dora Bakoyanni is also involved in other important groups. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS). She is also a member of the Council for the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

Awards and Honors

Dora Bakoyanni has received many awards for her work. In 1992, she got the International Leadership Award. In 1993, she was recognized for her contributions to culture.

In 2005, she was named World Mayor. This award honors mayors who have served their communities well. She won for her efforts to prepare Athens for the 2004 Olympic Games. She also worked to improve the city for its residents.

From 2006 to 2008, she was on the Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women. In 2008, she received the Emperor Maximilian Award. In 2009, she became the first woman to be an associate of the French Academy in Humanities and Political Sciences. She also received the title of Honorary Senator from the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. In 2010, she was awarded the National Order of the Legion of Honour from France.

Personal Life

In December 1974, Dora Bakoyanni married journalist Pavlos Bakoyannis. They had two children, Alexia and Kostas. In 1989, her husband was sadly killed. She later married businessman Isidoros Kouvelos in 1998, but she still uses her first husband's last name. Her second husband is the president of the International Olympic Academy.

Images for kids

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  Bakoyanni in 2009

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  Dora Bakoyannis with Vuk Jeremić, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia.

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  Dora Bakoyannis with Condoleezza Rice, United States Secretary of State.

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  OSCE Family Photo Vienna 15-01-2009