Ioannis Sharmas was sworn in as caretaker prime minister, after mandate to form a government received yesterday from the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou. Mr. Sharmas swore in front of Mrs. Sakellaropoulou, superior of the religious ceremony of Archbishop Hieronymos.

At then a caretaker government will be appointedwhich will lead the country to June 25 elections.

After his swearing in, Mr. Sharmas will go to Megaros Maximos to receive from Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis will hand over to Mr. Sharma a file with the government’s priorities for the next few weeks, in order for there to be continuity in the state.

Who is the Caretaker Prime Minister – His Biography

Ioannis Sarmas is the president of the Court of Auditors, one of the three highest courts of the country.

He was born in Kos in the year 1957, has been married since 1987 and has two children aged 33 and 34.

He graduated with honors in 1979 from the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. With scholarships from the French Government and the Foundation of State Scholarships he did post-graduate studies and has a post-graduate diploma (DEA) from the University of Paris II in Criminal Law (1980-1981), Public Law (1982-1983) and Public Finance (1983 -1985). His doctoral thesis was in the law of individual rights at the University of Paris II (1981-1985).

He then did his military service in the Hellenic Air Force as a cadet officer (1984-1986) and in the last year of his military service (1986) he participated in the selection competitions for judicial officers of the Council of State and the National School of Public Administration.

His choice was a judge of the Council of State (1987) and six years later (1993) he moved to the Audit Court, where he remains until today. He assumed the role of president of the Supreme Fiscal Court in November 2019 with a four-year, non-renewable term, which expires next November.

Mr. Sarmas is an honorary doctorate of the Faculty of Law of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (May 2022), an honorary doctorate of the Department of Public Administration of the School of Economics and Public Administration of Panteion University (November 2022) and an honorary doctorate of the Faculty of Humanities, Social and Economic Sciences of the International University of Greece (March 2023).

In 2002-2013 he was a member of the European Court of Auditors and during his term, among others, the “GETTING RESULTS” chapter was introduced in the annual report of the European Court of Auditors, on his initiative and suggestion.

At the same time, he was president of the Department of the European Court of Auditors (he was elected president of the Department twice).

He taught at the National School of Public Administration, legal and financial methodology (1989-1999) and at the National School of Judicial Officers the jurisprudence of the court of the European Communities and the European Court of Human Rights (1997-2001).

He was the chairman of the legislative committee for the preparation of the Procedure of the Court of Auditors. The Commission under his chairmanship prepared within 5 months a complete, integrated plan. Many similar attempts had been made, but to no avail, in the last 30 years. The Procedure of the E.S. was passed by law 4700/2020.

He was the chairman of the working group for the drafting of the audit and administrative regulation of the Court of Auditors. The team operated from September to December 2018 and with the subsequent implementation of the regulation, the Court of Auditors changed radically.

After the exercise of his official prime ministerial duties, he will return to the duties of the president of the Court of Auditors and in November 2023, when he will leave the judiciary, due to the completion of the four-year term and not due to an age limit.

His CV follows in detail, as posted on the website of the Court of Auditors.

General biographical information

  • Year of birth 1957. Married (1987), two children (1989,1990).
  • Law studies at the University of Athens (1975-1979), grade excellent, first in the series of graduates.
  • Scholarships from the French Government and the Foundation of State Scholarships for postgraduate studies.
  • Post-graduate degrees (DEA) from Paris II University in criminal law (1980-1981), public law (1982-1983) and public finance (1983-1985).
  • Doctoral thesis in the law of individual rights from the University of Paris II (1981-1985, grade très honorable).
  • Military service in the Hellenic Air Force as a probationary officer (1984-1986).
  • Participation in the selection competitions for judicial officers of the Council of State and the National School of Public Administration (year 1986 and both, highest score among the candidates in both competitions).
  • Judge of the Council of State (1987-1993).
  • Judge of the Court of Auditors (1993 onwards).
  • Honorary Doctorate of the Faculty of Law of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Commendation of AUTH Law School Professor and former Vice President of the Government, Evangelos Venizelos (May 2022).
  • Honorary Doctor of the Department of Public Administration of the School of Economics and Public Administration of Panteion University. PRAISE of Panteion University Professor and President of the Center for European Constitutional Law, Xenophontos Kontiadis (November 2022).
  • Honorary Doctor of the School of Humanities, Social and Economic Sciences of the International University of Greece (March 2023).

2014-2019

  • President of the III Department of the Court of Auditors (lawsuits and appeals of retired military personnel). Received by the Department on 2.1.2014 with more than 30,000 pending cases, of which about 7,000 were pending since 2006 and about 10,000 since 2007. Another 6,000 were added to them in the intervening years. By categorizing and co-litigating similar cases, and using the in-council procedure and the “pilot” trial, the pending cases have been reduced today, according to the Secretariat’s data, to less than 8,500.
  • President of the law-making Committee for the preparation of the Procedure of the Court of Auditors. With intensive work, the Commission under his chairmanship, prepared within 5 months – the deadline set by the relevant ministerial decision – a complete, integrated plan. Many such attempts had been made without success in the last 30 years. The Procedure was passed with Law 4700/2020.
  • Chairman of the Working Group for the drafting of the audit and administrative Regulation of the Court of Auditors. This Group worked from September to December 2018, according to the schedule, and prepared the draft Regulation, which was then adopted by the Plenary of the Court of Auditors. With the implementation of the Regulation, the Congress turned into one of the most modern auditing institutions.

2002-2013

  • Member of the European Court of Auditors. During his 12-year term, among others, the “GETTING RESULTS” chapter of the Annual Report of the European Court of Auditors was introduced through his initiative, suggestion and personal work, where the Court approaches the entire EU management in the light of objectives, means and measurable results . Attempts to introduce such a capital have been unsuccessful in the past. Previously, he had organized and carried out the audit for the Special Report entitled “GETTING RESULTS” on the Organizations of the Union.
  • President of the Department of the European Court of Auditors. He managed and presided over Section IV (EU Banks and Organizations, expenditure of the Institutions) and Section I (agricultural expenditure) of the European Court of Auditors. The Departments, in addition to their Members, are made up of numerous audit and administrative staff. He was elected President of the Department twice by the vote of his colleagues.

1996-2001

  • Reporter in pre-contractual audit cases. During the beginnings of the exercise by the Court of Auditors of the pre-contractual audit (1996-1999), which at that time was optional for the Administration, concerned only public procurement and was carried out by ad hoc levels, the President Mr. Ap. Botsos designated him almost exclusively as rapporteur. Then, on his initiative, the method and approach of this control was introduced, which, based on the idea of ​​”no brakes, no alibi”, led to the search for only essential misdemeanors. The success of the audit was such that it was subsequently made mandatory, extended to public works and services and finally, in 2001, “constitutionalized”.

Scientific presence and social contribution

  • Publications, among others, of the following books: “The Union of Law” The jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union (evolutionary and synthetic study) The major issues of Jurisprudence – v. 2 (2022) .”The fair balance – The jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights” (2018). “We the People – The Constitutional Jurisprudence of the United States Supreme Court” (2016). “Better State: waste, corruption and modern fiscal control” (2006), “The constitutional and administrative jurisprudence of the Council of State” (1990, 1994, 2003). The Fair Balance – Justice as an Equilibrium Setting Exercise (2015). Liberté d’expression et defamation – Une étude de jurisprudence à partir des théories de la justice (published PhD thesis, 2011).
  • Speeches at the following, among others, international meetings: European Court of Human Rights (Seminar on the occasion of the inauguration of the new judicial year, Strasbourg, 2013); Université de Paris III (Symposium on 60 years of the European Convention on Human Rights, Paris, 2010); London School of Economics (Conference on the debt crisis in Greece, London, 2010); International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), (Seminar on accounting and the financial crisis, Berlin, 2011); Conseil de l’Europe (La protection des droits sociaux en Europe, Cyprus, 2017); Judicial Power Project (Web symposium on Constitutional Rights and Constitutional Design; Oxford; 2018). Most available online.
  • Teaching at the National School of Public Administration, Methodology of Law and Finance (1989-1999) and at the National School of Judges the jurisprudence of the Court of the European Communities and the European Court of Human Rights (1997-2001).