Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vasiliki Thanou-Christophilou
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| Βασιλική Θάνου-Χριστοφίλου | |
Thanou-Christophilou in 2015
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| Prime Minister of Greece | |
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Caretaker
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| In office 27 August 2015 – 21 September 2015 |
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| President | Prokopis Pavlopoulos |
| Preceded by | Alexis Tsipras |
| Succeeded by | Alexis Tsipras |
| Court of Cassation | |
| 2014–2015 | Vice President |
| 2015–2017 | President |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 November 1950 Chalcis, Greece |
| Political party | Independent |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | University of Athens Panthéon-Assas University |
Vasiliki Thanou-Christophilou (born on November 3, 1950), also known as Vasiliki Thanou, is a Greek judge. She served as the caretaker prime minister of Greece from August 27 to September 21, 2015. This happened before the September 2015 election. She was the first woman ever to become prime minister of Greece.
Thanou-Christophilou was also the President of the Court of Cassation. This is one of Greece's three highest courts. She held this position from 2015 to 2017. She is currently the most senior judge in Greece. She teaches civil law at the National School of Judges of Greece. Since 2012, she has been the president of the Greek Association of Judges and Prosecutors (SAD).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Vasiliki Thanou-Christophilou was born in Chalcis, Greece. She studied law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. After that, she continued her studies in European law at Panthéon-Assas University in France.
Judicial Career
Starting as a Judge
Thanou-Christophilou began her career in the justice system in 1975. She became the president of the Court of First Instance in 1992. Later, she became an appellate judge in 1996. In 2005, she was made president of the Appeals Court. By 2008, she became a judge in the Court of Cassation. This is one of Greece's three top courts.
Since 2009, Thanou-Christophilou has taught civil law. She teaches at the National School of Judges in Greece. She is also the president of the Greek Association of Judges and Prosecutors (SAD). She was first chosen for this role in 2012. In 2014, she also became the vice president of the Court of Cassation.
On July 1, 2015, she became the president of the Court of Cassation. She was the 42nd person to hold this position since 1835. She was also the second woman to become president of this important court. Because she was the president of a Greek supreme court, she also became the head of the Supreme Electoral Court. This court handles election matters.
Time as Prime Minister of Greece
On August 20, 2015, Alexis Tsipras, who was the prime minister, resigned. He asked for a temporary government to be set up. This was needed before a new election could be held on September 20. The President of Greece, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, had to appoint a temporary government. According to the Constitution of Greece, a president from one of Greece's three highest courts must be the temporary prime minister. Vasiliki Thanou-Christophilou was the only sitting president of a supreme court at that time.
On August 27, President Pavlopoulos officially announced her appointment. Her temporary government was sworn in on August 28. She served as prime minister until the election on September 20. She made history as Greece's first female prime minister. At her swearing-in, she said her government's main job was to hold fair elections.
One big challenge she faced was the European migrant crisis. This was when many people were moving into Europe. She met with officials to talk about this issue. Her time as prime minister ended on September 21, 2015. This was when Alexis Tsipras became prime minister again after the election.
Later Judicial Career
After her time as prime minister, Thanou-Christophilou continued her work as a judge. In 2016, she was involved in a discussion about a legal case. This case involved a prosecutor's decision about a businessman. Thanou-Christophilou decided to step down from leading the investigation. She did this to protect the reputation of the justice system. The investigation was then led by another senior judge.
Personal Life
Vasiliki Thanou-Christophilou is married and has three children. She is fluent in Greek, French, and English.
See also
In Spanish: Vasilikí Thánou para niños
- Caretaker Cabinet of Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou
