Grief prevails today, December 26, due to the loss of Karolos Papoulias. The political world as a whole sends messages expressing condolences.
Karolos Papoulias was born on June 4, 1929. He was President of the Hellenic Republic from 2005 to 2015. He was a PASOK official, a close associate of Andreas Papandreou and Minister of Foreign Affairs, minister or deputy minister throughout Andreas Papandreou’s governments.
During his long ministerial tenure he identified with a far-sighted and multi-layered foreign policy. In the 1980s, he starred in all efforts to resolve the Middle East issue, culminating in his successful mediation for the safe departure of trapped Palestinian resistance fighters and Yasser Arafat himself on Greek ships from Tripoli, Lebanon (1983).
He attached special importance to the establishment of solid relations with the Arab world, and it is indicative of the normalization of Greek-Egyptian relations and the institutionalization of the tripartite cooperation between Iran-Armenia-Greece. He spoke with a total of twelve Turkish Foreign Ministers and was firmly focused on the ongoing and painstaking effort to normalize Greek-Turkish relations. This effort culminated in the signing of the Papoulias-Yilmaz Memorandum in 1988. It supported Turkey’s European perspective on the condition of respect for international law and the Community value system. In the three years 1993-96, his contribution to the opening of the accession negotiations of the Republic of Cyprus was significant, especially in the decisive one for the accession of the European Union (EU) Summit in Essen.
As the representative of the Greek Presidency to the European Union for the second half of 1994, he participated in the Contact Group for the former Yugoslavia, together with Christopher, Kinkel, Zipe, Kozirev and Van der Brook. It signed the Interim Agreement with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (September 13th, 1995), in which Macedonia was forced to change its flag after the Greek embargo.
On December 12, 2004, he was nominated by the Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis for the office of President of the Republic. PASOK also spoke in favor of the proposal. In the first ballot held in Parliament on February 8, 2005, Karolos Papoulias was elected President of the Republic from the first round with 279 votes. The deputies of the KKE and SYRIZA declared “present”.
On February 3, 2010, Karolos Papoulias was re-elected to the highest office in the country with 266 votes out of a total of 298 voters. The parliamentary groups of PASOK, ND and LAOS voted in unison, while 32 deputies of KKE and SYRIZA declared “present”. As a result, he became the third President to be re-elected for a second term. He was sworn in for the second time on March 12, 2010.
The messages
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis:
The homeland is saying goodbye, today, to a great Greek. Because Karolos Papoulias served her faithfully throughout his life. As a teenager he fought the German conqueror. In the years of his maturity he resisted the dictatorship. And, later, as an MP and Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was one of the most emblematic personalities of the democratic life of the country.
The culmination of his course, his unanimous and worthy election to the office of President of the Republic. A position that served wisely and wisely for a difficult decade. Responding to the challenges of the times with political consistency. And holding high the flag of truth against the waves of populism. He was the President of unity, meekness, but also determination.
Greeks bow their heads with respect to the thought of the responsible President, the visionary minister, the noble opponent and devoted patriot. To the accessible and mild politician but also to the sensitive and cultured man. They keep the decades of his life as an example of the path of a real public man. And they are inspired by the message of unity and dignity that it will send forever.
I also express my deep sorrow for the loss of Karolos Papoulias. To his family, to his loved ones from Epirus, to his countless friends.
PD Katerina Sakellaropoulou:
With emotion and sadness we address the last greeting to Karolos Papoulias, the patriot from Epirus and a politician.
His participation in the National Resistance and in the anti-dictatorship struggle determined his pace, reflecting his constant commitment to the ideals of freedom and justice that he consistently defended throughout his career.
A profound expert on international politics, during his tenure at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he contributed to Greece gaining special weight and consolidating its role as a factor of stability in our wider region.
He served as President of the Republic for two consecutive terms and honored with his morals and behavior the highest state institution, vigorously defending social cohesion and national unity.
For his loss, I express my deepest condolences to his family and friends.
Takis Theodorikakos
Karolos Papoulias will forever remain in the memory of the Greeks as a symbol of reconciliation and national unity. He honored with his ethos all the positions he served. May his memory live forever!
Nikos Dendias
Karolos Papoulias, who honored me with his friendship, served with dignity and a spirit of solidarity the public life from the high state office of the President of the Republic, as well as the national interests from the position of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
I will always remember that when needed, during my time as Minister of Public Order and Citizen Protection, he offered his services with efficiency and discretion. Sincere condolences to his family.
Evangelos Venizelos
Karolos Papoulias met with the responsibility towards the Homeland since he was a child, participating in the National Resistance and continued as a young man participating in the anti-dictatorship struggle. Oligologically and essentially, he expressed the most decent version of the battle policy as a brotherly friend of Andreas Papandreou and for many years Minister of Foreign Affairs with knowledge and opinion. He was called to become President of the Republic on the initiative of the other big side of the then party system, being elected twice by an overwhelming majority. He exercised his duties in a discreet but solid and effective way during the most difficult period of the Metapolitism.
The episodes of October 2011 in Thessaloniki showed that the dynamics of populism affect the national interest and the Republic. Karolos Papoulias defended these two as head of state and regulator of the regime. The Hellenic Republic has a great historical obligation to him. We who had the honor to serve with him as MPs and ministers also say goodbye to our good friend, the lover of Epirus, the intellectual and cosmopolitan, the pleasant and honest Karolos Papoulias. Heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased.
Antonis Samaras
Karolos Papoulias was a consistent fighter for his ideals and at the same time a brilliant and cultured man. He served with devotion and moderation the homeland, his party, his place of origin but above all the institutions of the country. The national interest has been the guide of his political path. In very critical moments for Greece, we had the good fortune to head the State, a fact that is very positive for the country. He was an impeccable President of the Hellenic Republic, with a decisive and at the same time discreet role in events that were to be decisive. Karolos Papoulias went down in history as he lived: with modesty. I express my heartfelt condolences to his family.
Nikos Androulakis
Karolos Papoulias connected his life with Andreas Papandreou and PASOK, which he served with consistency and dignity. He participated in the Resistance against the occupying forces and developed intense anti-dictatorship action. During his long ministerial tenure, he identified with the insightful, patriotic and nationally proud foreign policy of the PASOK governments. He honored the institution of the President of the Republic in the most critical post-political period of the country with moderation and prudence. He remained until the end a visionary of peace and humanity, a tireless defender of the Republic. We will remember him with respect. My sincere condolences to his family.
Prokopis Pavlopoulos
Karolos Papoulias, a politician from Eupatrida with brilliant resistance parchments, served the public life of the country in many ways, especially as President of the Republic, with a high patriotic feeling, selfless devotion to duty and unblemished ethos. Eternal is his Memory.
Dimitris Koutsoumbas
For the loss of Karolos Papoulias, former President of the Republic, who with his honest political career left his special mark on the political life of the country, I express my heartfelt condolences to his family and relatives.
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