Katerina Sakellaropoulou facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Katerina Sakellaropoulou
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| Κατερίνα Σακελλαροπούλου | |
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Sakellaropoulou in 2022
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| President of Greece | |
| In office 13 March 2020 – 13 March 2025 |
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| Prime Minister | Kyriakos Mitsotakis Ioannis Sarmas Kyriakos Mitsotakis |
| Preceded by | Prokopis Pavlopoulos |
| Succeeded by | Konstantinos Tasoulas |
| President of the Council of State | |
| In office 17 October 2018 – 11 February 2020 |
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| Vice President | Athanasios Rantos |
| Preceded by | Nikolaos Sakellariou |
| Succeeded by | Athanasios Rantos |
| Vice President of the Council of State | |
| In office 22 October 2015 – 17 October 2018 |
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| President | Nikolaos Sakellariou |
| Preceded by | Nikolaos Sakellariou |
| Succeeded by | Athanasios Rantos |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Katerina N. Sakellaropoulou
30 May 1956 Thessaloniki, Greece |
| Political party | Independent |
| Domestic partner | Pavlos Kotsonis |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Athens University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas |
| Signature |  |
Katerina N. Sakellaropoulou (born May 30, 1956) is a Greek judge who served as the President of Greece from 2020 to 2025. She was chosen by the Hellenic Parliament (Greece's parliament) on January 22, 2020. Before becoming president, Sakellaropoulou was the president of the Council of State. This is Greece's highest court for administrative law. She made history as the first woman to become president of Greece.
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Her Early Life and Career
Katerina Sakellaropoulou was born in Thessaloniki, Greece. Her father, Nikolaos Sakellaropoulos, was also a judge. Her family comes from a town called Stavroupoli.
She studied law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She also did advanced studies in public law at Paris II University in France. In the mid-1980s, she started working at the Council of State. She became a full councilor in 2000.
In October 2015, she was made vice-president of the Council of State. Then, in October 2018, she became the first woman to be president of this important court. She was chosen because of her modern views on topics like the environment and human rights.
She was also a member of an association for judges at the Council of State. She held several leadership roles there over the years. Katerina Sakellaropoulou has written articles for academic journals. She also helped write a book about how the financial crisis affected environmental protection in Greece.
Becoming President of Greece
On January 15, 2020, the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, suggested her for the role of president. Even though she was chosen as a non-political candidate, her selection was a surprise. This was because her progressive ideas were different from the Prime Minister's more central-right political views.
She was elected president on January 22, 2020. A large majority of the members of the Hellenic Parliament (261 out of 300) voted for her.
Sakellaropoulou officially became president on March 13, 2020. Her swearing-in ceremony had fewer people than usual because Greece was starting to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. At that moment, she became the first woman to hold the highest office in Greece.
In 2023, when the parliament could not form a new government, President Sakellaropoulou appointed Ioannis Sarmas to lead a temporary government. This temporary government helped manage the country until new elections could be held.
Her time as president was praised because she was the first woman in the role. However, she also faced some criticism. Some people felt she did not do enough about certain issues, like problems with the rule of law. Her popularity levels were among the lowest for a Greek president.
Her Beliefs and Interests
Katerina Sakellaropoulou is known for her progressive views. She has often focused on protecting the environment and supporting minority rights. She has also spoken about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling it a "direct and dramatic conflict of values, between freedom and authoritarianism."
Personal Life
Katerina Sakellaropoulou lives with her partner, Pavlos Kotsonis, who is a lawyer. She has one daughter from a previous marriage. She is also a fan of the Greek sports club Aris Thessaloniki.
Awards and Honors
Katerina Sakellaropoulou has received many special awards from other countries during her time as president. These awards are given to important people to show respect and honor.
Cyprus: Grand Collar of the Order of Makarios III (2020)
Italy: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2020)
Egypt: Grand Collar of Order of the Nile (2020)
Slovenia: Member of the Order for Exceptional Merits (2021)
Portugal: Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (2022)
Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (2022)
Slovakia: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Double Cross (2022)
Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (2022)
Bulgaria: Grand Cross of the Order of the Balkan Mountains (2022)
Malta: Honorary Companions of Honour with Collar of the National Order of Merit (2023)
Latvia: Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Three Stars (2024)
SMOM: Collar of the Order pro Merito Melitensi (2024)
See also
In Spanish: Katerína Sakellaropoúlou para niños
