Greece’s political leadership gathered at the Metropolitan Cathedral in downtown Athens to honor former Greek Prime Minister, Costas Simitis, who died on January 5th at the age of 88.
The funeral service was held on Thursday morning and the late former head of state will be buried at Athens’ First Cemetery. His coffin was draped with the Greek flag, a symbol of unity, representing his decades of service to Greece, both as a leader and a statesman.
Attended by dignitaries, family and citizens, the solemn ceremony reflected the profound impact of his leadership on the nation’s modern history.
Eulogies were delivered by President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, PASOK-KINAL leader Nikos Androulakis, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, former minister and professor Tassos Giannitsis, and professors Yiannis Voulgaris and Constantinos Tsoukalas.
Reflecting on his work, Sakellaropoulou remarked that Simitis introduced a new method of governance to Greek political culture, guided by European social democracy while staying away from populist rhetoric.
“His eight-year tenure as Prime Minister brought significant achievements in the rule of law and society, major infrastructure projects and investments,” she stated.
Mitsotakis paid tribute to “a fighter for democracy and a noble political opponent,” who, as he said, refused to compromise his principles and adopt populist slogans.
The prime minister highlighted three key aspects of Simitis’s legacy: his belief in European integration, his methodical governance style and his ability to balance his demanding political responsibilities with a passion for reading, art and theater.
The funeral service was led by the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos II.
The Greek government has declared four days of national mourning, while Simitis was buried with the full honors bestowed on an active prime minister.
Costas Simitis: Greece’s PM from 1996 until 2004
Costas Simitis was born in Piraeus on June 23, 1936. He studied law and economics in Germany and England, where he met his wife Daphne (née Arkadiou). They had two daughters, Fiona and Marilena.
Simitis, also a founding member of the socialist party Panhellenic Socialist Movement (known as PASOK) after the fall of the military junta in 1974, left his mark on Greece’s political life.
He held several ministerial posts before taking the helm of the country when he succeeded PASOK founder Andreas Papandreou and became Greece’s prime minister from 1996 until 2004. He is remembered for his critical role in the country’s adoption of the euro in 2001.
During his tenure, Simitis pushed for privatizations, fiscal stability and moderate foreign policies, aiming to modernize the Greek economy and society, while Cyprus became a member of the European Union. He leaves a legacy of modernization and deeper European cohesion.
According to his official page, “As prime minister, he sought to modernize Greek society, especially for the stabilization and development of the Greek economy and the strengthening of Greece’s position in Europe and its international surroundings.”
Following the end of his last term as prime minister and as a member of Parliament, he continued to be active in public life through speeches and opinion articles.
Related: The Controversial Legacy of Former Greek PM Costas Simitis
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