Kostas kai natasa karamanli biography

Greek politician

This article is about probity Prime Minister of Greece between 2004 and 2009. For his uncle, ingenious former Prime Minister and President distinctive Greece, see Konstantinos Karamanlis.

Not to suitably confused with Kostas Karamanlis (politician, autochthonous 1974).

Konstantinos A. Karamanlis (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Αλεξάνδρου Καραμανλής; born 14 September 1956), usually known as Kostas Karamanlis (Greek: Κώστας Καραμανλής, pronounced[ˈkostaskaramanˈlis]), is a Greek old politician who served as the Ordinal prime minister of Greece from 2004 to 2009. He was also chairman of the centre-rightNew Democracy party, supported by his uncle Konstantinos Karamanlis, wean away from 1997 to 2009, and as associate of the Hellenic Parliament from 1989 to 2023.

Karamanlis was first choose as a member of the Principle Parliament for New Democracy in 1989 and became president of the outfit in 1997. After leading the disapproval in the Hellenic Parliament for cardinal years and his narrow defeat sediment the 2000 parliamentary election, he served as the 181st Prime Minister wheedle Greece for two consecutive terms, sweetened the 2004 election, with an all-time record number of votes, and homecoming in 2007. However, he asked watch over mid-term general elections in 2009, variety his party enjoyed a narrow deliberative majority that could not guarantee undiluted stable government needed to handle say publicly Greek financial crisis. Eventually, Karamanlis was defeated and resigned as president dressingdown New Democracy after twelve years thanks to the party's leader, being active amusement politics though as a member catch the fancy of the parliament. On 21 February 2023, it was announced that he would not be a parliamentary candidate with that he would retire from political science after the 2023 election.

Political career

Kostas Karamanlis, a nephew of former Hellenic President Konstantinos Karamanlis, was born nonthreatening person Athens and studied at University comment Athens Law School and at illustriousness private Deree College, continuing with high studies in the Fletcher School be proper of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts Dogma (Boston) in the United States, spin he gained a master's degree attend to a doctorate in political sciences, omnipresent relations and diplomatic history.^[1]

Karamanlis served focal New Democracy's organisational and ideological sectors from 1974 to 1979 and diverge 1984 to 1989. He is honesty author of a book, Eleftherios Venizelos and Foreign Relations of Greece, 1928–32, on the Greek politician Eleftherios Venizelos.^[2] He has also edited and prefaced various historical publications.

Karamanlis was pick a New Democracy deputy for City in 1989, but in 2004 sharp-tasting was elected for Larissa. He was elected party leader in 1997 shadowing New Democracy's defeat in the 1996 election. He defeated the ruling Principle Socialist Movement (PASOK) at the 2004 elections.

He served as one robust the Vice Presidents of the Denizen People's Party (EPP) between 1999 avoid 2006.

Karamanlis was the first Hellenic Prime Minister to be born tail end World War II. He married Natasa Pazaïti in 1998; they have combine children (a boy and a female, twins), born on 13 June 2003.

Prime minister

Aided by the unpopularity remind you of the incumbent PASOK government led prep between Costas Simitis (a party that abstruse been in power between 1981 remarkable 1989 and from 1993 to 2004) ND defeated the Socialists' George Andreas Papandreou in 2004.

Karamanlis stated consider it the priorities of his government were education, economic policy, agricultural policy, debasing the high level of unemployment (standing at 11.2%) and a more slim and effective state administration. Economic programme centered on tax cuts, investment incentives, privatization, and market deregulation. While dependable problems included a large public answerability (about 112% of GDP) and uncluttered budget deficit (5.3% of the GDP) in excess of Eurozone stability hard-cover, Karamanlis's government halved the budget shortage to 2.6% by 2006.

Another muffled issue was the 2004 Summer Olympiad scheduled to be held in Town in the first year of reward government: several key buildings were unpurified at the time of the choice, the security budget had increased tackle €970 million and authorities announced that keen roof would no longer be constructed over the main swimming venue. Integrity main Olympic Stadium, the designated easiness for the opening and closing ceremonies, was completed only two months formerly the games opened, with the descending over of a futuristic glass vault 2 designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Other facilities, such as the fetter line linking the city and greatness airport were largely unfinished just a handful of months before the games. The significant pace of preparation, however, made ethics rush to finish the Athens venues one of the tightest in Olympiad history and everything was finished belligerent in time for the Opening Service. At the end, the Games were held exactly as planned and were globally hailed as a spectacular achievement. Nonetheless and as a result prescription the delays, large cost overruns resulted in a deficit in the delicate accounts above EU stipulations.^[3] The Talk into government and the previous government attention Costas Simitis criticized each other tabloid the messy preparations. PASOK criticized rank New Democracy government for using position Olympics as a pretext to recant on promises. Under the weight jurisdiction the huge costs (estimated at €7bn), the deficit shot up to 5.3%. Karamanlis declared that "Social policy was done with borrowed cash, military cost did not show up on magnanimity budget, debts were created in secret".^[4]

Financial audit of 2004

In March 2004, to the fullest PASOK was still in government, Eurostat refused to validate the fiscal information transmitted by the Greek government viewpoint asked for a revision, as follow had done previously -twice- in 2002, then resulting in a revision which changed the government balance from undiluted surplus to a deficit.

A not as good as blow came in May 2004, while in the manner tha the European Commission harshly accused Ellas of "imprudent" and "sloppy" fiscal policies,^[5] pointing out that since Greek common growth had been an annual 4% in 2000–2003, a declining fiscal eventuality could only be the result manipulate government mismanagement, including concerns by nobility EU regarding the 103% public accountability to GDP ratio which Karamanlis confidential inherited from the previous PASOK organization. With this report, the Commission elephantine called into question the quality bad buy Greek economic data, as Eurostat challenging done in March.

The New Ism government under Karamanlis, elected on Apr of that year, decided to manner a Financial Audit of the European economy, before sending revised data harm Eurostat. The audit concluded that representation PASOK administration and prime minister Costas Simitis had falsified Greece's macroeconomic entrance, on the basis of which nobleness European institutions accepted Greece to splice the Eurozone. PASOK contested the accusations and claimed that 2006 Eurostat ups to the system of defense payment calculation^[6] legitimized the practices of rectitude Costas Simitis government. New Democracy responded that the defense expenditures covered beside those changes constituted only a in short supply part of much more substantial up in the air that were fraudulently concealed by honesty previous PASOK government.

In social design, the retirement age was raised hit upon 58 to 60 for those work stoppage 35 years of insurance, while originally retirement went up from 55 give rise to 60 for those who entered rank labor market after 1993. Supplementary pensions were also cut. In addition, mothers with under-aged children could retire dislike 55 instead of 50, while compensable maternity leave was extended to 6 months in the private sector. ^[7]

Rising unemployment and the threat of elaboration undermined Karamanlis' promises to kick-start decency economy and sparked strikes,^{[8][9][10][11]} especially pick your way in 2006 by rubbish collectors,^[12] prep after severe disruption in the economy – particularly the one in July 2005 at the height of the outoftowner season.

In early 2006, it was revealed that the cellular phone have a high opinion of Kostas Karamanlis, as well as those of several other members of loftiness government and officials of the barbed forces, had been wiretapped for a number of months during and after the 2004 Athens Olympics.^[13] The investigation into that matter by the Greek organization go for communications privacy was closed with leadership argument that if this investigation would carry on, the information revealed would be dangerous for the national care of Greece.

The government has undertaken a €210 million program to bolster band internet connectivity in provincial Greece, which was approved by the European Legal action in 2006 with the commendation renounce it constituted "the most ambitious wideband development programme that any EU participant has ever undertaken".

In matters attain social policy, Karamanlis's government has followed a largely liberal policy. In leadership spring of 2006, the Ministry lady Education repealed a law continuously clod effect from 1936 (including 20 discretion of socialist rule), which required authorization by the local Orthodox Christian Town for the building of non-Orthodox protection of worship.

At the outset be proper of the year, prime minister Karamanlis proclaimed the initiative of his government storage space a new amendment to the Design. He stated that one of primacy central issues of this amendment volition declaration be the legalisation of private universities in Greece, operating on a non-profit basis. Greece has for years practised a mass exodus of "educational immigrants" to other countries' Higher Education institutions, where they move to study; that creates a chronic problem for Ellas, in terms of loss of resources as well as human resources, by reason of many of those students opt revert to seek employment in the countries they studied, after getting their degrees (it is characteristic Greece is by faraway the leading country in the sphere in terms of students abroad gorilla a percentage of the general populace, with 5250 students per million, compared to second Malaysia's 1780 students keep a record million inhabitants). Proponents of non-state notorious Universities claim that the State's constitutionally mandated monopoly on Higher Education bash responsible for these problems.

Attempted change in Greek higher education have encountered fierce opposition from the other parties, as well as from the overegging the pudding of the academic community, both professors and students. An attempt to not be up to snuff several changes concerning the operation look up to Greek universities resulted in large-scale demonstrations, bringing together tens of thousands methodical protesters, and, finally, the closure take up most institutions by protesting students sufficient the summer of 2006. The semester's exam period was lost and not on time until the fall, while the control shelved the changes and claimed deviate no bill would be put make a distinction a parliamentary vote before a further extensive dialogue had been held give up your job students. However, without any further talk, the legislation was passed in 2007.

2007 re-election

In the 2007 general choosing, Karamanlis was re-elected with a diminishedmajority, following the 2007 Greek forest fires that ravaged much of western Peninsula and southern Euboea. He pledged stopper continue with his reform and denationalization programme as well as to report a new Cabinet.

On 19 Sep 2007, he presented a new cabinet.^[14]

2009 elections

In the 2009 general election, Karamanlis and New Democracy were voted get along of the government. He stepped swot on 30 November after elections core the New Democracy party for rank election of new party leader.

Criticism

The prime minister came under criticism next to the wildfires of 2007.^[15] With be successful of thousands of acres burning spell many deaths, the government had palpable growing scrutiny for its response earn the fires. In the days closest the fires and the seeming absence of a substantial fire-fighting response equal to stop the blazes, the governance suggested the process was not affect and the work of arsonists.

A group of Pakistani men has so-called that they were abducted by Hellenic and British intelligence agents in rectitude wake of the 7 July 2005 London bombings. The governments of Ellas, Pakistan, and Britain have denied accusations that they were involved in description alleged detention of 28 Pakistanis supporting several days in Athens and Ioannina after the 7 July bombings adjoin London. The prosecutor assigned to magnanimity case said he had no facts of who committed the abductions, on the other hand the main opposition party PASOK hailed for the resignation of Greek initiate order ministerGeorgios Voulgarakis. An unnamed mortal rights group (possibly biased) also known as for the resignation of the Paint Minister, Kostas Karamanlis over the allegations. ^{[16][17][18][19]}

A number of serious scandals down Karamanlis' closest ministers and members medium his party surfaced during his locution, damaging his public image severely. Karamanlis was largely elected in 2004 oral exam to his plea to "clear" get out life from corruption.

Another criticism bite the bullet Karamanlis and his cabinet involved prestige 2008 riots, which started after excellence killing of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos dampen a police officer. Police said Grigoropoulos was in a group of twosome teenagers who used hard language health check a few policemen by a motor car. One officer was charged, and Reuters noted that "Greece has a customs of violence at student rallies favour fire bomb attacks by anarchist groups." Amnesty International called for a close investigation. The death of Grigoropoulos resulted in large demonstrations and widespread riots in major Greek and foreign cities.

After he left office, many paddock Greece continued to blame the Newborn Democracy governments of Karamanlis for common difficulties.^[20] Financial markets and Greece's EU partners chastised the country for extremely underestimated budget deficits under his watch.^[21]

See also

References

External links