Sotirios Hatzigakis
Encyclopedia
Sotirios Hatzigakis is a Greek
conservative politician.
Born in Athens
, Hatzigakis studied Law at the University of Athens where he gained his Bachelor's degree. He obtained a Master's degree from the University College London
, United Kingdom
in Economics
and from the Sorbonne
of Paris
, France
in political science
.
. The first Hatzigakis that entered the Parliament was elected in the Greek legislative election, 1892. Since 1892, the Hatzigakis family has always had a representative in the Parliament. Hatzigakis is also the cousin of Evangelos Averoff
who was Foreign Minister of Greece and Defense Minister of Greece during the 1960s and 1970s and one of the leading figures in the New Democracy
(ND).
Following the collapse of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974
, Hatzigakis decided to run for parliament MP
with ND. In the Greek legislative election, 1974
, Hatzigakis was elected first in his electorate district Trikala
and became the youngest member in the Parliament at the age of only 29.
Harzigakis has been elected 13 consecutive times, in the legislative elections of 1974
, 1977
, 1981
, 1985
, June 1989, November 1989, 1990
, 1993
, 1996
, 2000, 2004
, 2007, and 2009
.
From the outset of his political career, Hatzigakis was involved in the accession negotiations of Greece with the European Economic Community. When his cousin Evangelos Averoff was elected the leader of New Democracy
in 1981, he tried to renew the party by bringing in new politicians and getting rid of the old guard
. During that period, Hatzigakis was considered his right-hand man.
In 1989, New Democracy formed a coalition government with the Coalition of the Left and Progress which at the time included the Communist Party of Greece
. The government was headed by Tzannis Tzannetakis
and Hatzigakis first entered the Cabinet of Greece as Alternate Minister for the National Economy
and Minister for Labour
.
The government was soon replaced by two further short-lived governments under Yiannis Grivas
and Xenophon Zolotas
. With the 1990 elections, New Democracy managed to form a single-party government under its leader Constantine Mitsotakis
. Hatzigakis was appointed Alternate Minister for Trade in 1990 and Minister for Agriculture
from 1991 to 1992. He resigned over matters of principle.
He re-entered the Cabinet as Minister for Justice on 19 September 2007, following New Democracy's victory in the 2007 parliamentary election. From 8 January to 7 October 2009, he served again as Minister for Rural Development and Food
.
Hatzigakis has published numerous articles and studies on political, social and economic affairs. He has also participated in many international conferences and parliamentary missions. Hatzigakis is the author of 14 books. Currently he is the longest-serving member of the Hellenic Parliament.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
conservative politician.
Born in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Hatzigakis studied Law at the University of Athens where he gained his Bachelor's degree. He obtained a Master's degree from the University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and from the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
.
Political career
Sotirios Hatzigakis is a 4th generation politician. He is the offspring of a big political family in GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The first Hatzigakis that entered the Parliament was elected in the Greek legislative election, 1892. Since 1892, the Hatzigakis family has always had a representative in the Parliament. Hatzigakis is also the cousin of Evangelos Averoff
Evangelos Averoff
Evangelos Averoff-Tositsas was a distinguished right-wing Greek politician of Aromanian origin and author of several books on political and historical topics....
who was Foreign Minister of Greece and Defense Minister of Greece during the 1960s and 1970s and one of the leading figures in the New Democracy
New Democracy (Greece)
New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic...
(ND).
Following the collapse of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974
Greek military junta of 1967-1974
The Greek military junta of 1967–1974, alternatively "The Regime of the Colonels" , or in Greece "The Junta", and "The Seven Years" are terms used to refer to a series of right-wing military governments that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974...
, Hatzigakis decided to run for parliament MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
with ND. In the Greek legislative election, 1974
Greek legislative election, 1974
The first free elections since 1964 and after the end of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974 took place in Greece on November 17, 1974 during the metapolitefsi....
, Hatzigakis was elected first in his electorate district Trikala
Trikala
Trikala is a city in northwestern Thessaly, Greece. It is the capital of the Trikala peripheral unit, and is located NW of Athens, NW, of Karditsa, E of Ioannina and Metsovo, S of Grevena, SW of Thessaloniki, and W of Larissa...
and became the youngest member in the Parliament at the age of only 29.
Harzigakis has been elected 13 consecutive times, in the legislative elections of 1974
Greek legislative election, 1974
The first free elections since 1964 and after the end of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974 took place in Greece on November 17, 1974 during the metapolitefsi....
, 1977
Greek legislative election, 1977
In the Greek legislative election, 1977, Prime Minister, Constantine Karamanlis, called for early elections. His party, New Democracy, suffered a significant loss of power, but, nevertheless, Karamanlis managed to secure an absolute majority in the Parliament. The big surprise was the success of...
, 1981
Greek legislative election, 1981
The Greek legislative election held on 18 October 1981 marked a new era in the modern history of Greece.Panhellenic Socialist Movement , led by Andreas Papandreou, faced New Democracy, led by Georgios Rallis. Papandreou achieved a landslide and PASOK formed the first socialistic government in the...
, 1985
Greek legislative election, 1985
Legislative elections were held in the Hellenic Republic on 2 June, 1985. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek parliament, the Voule.The ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Andreas Papandreou, was re-elected, defeating the conservative New Democracy party of Constantine Mitsotakis ....
, June 1989, November 1989, 1990
Greek legislative election, 1990
Legislative elections were held in the Hellenic Republic on 8 April 1990. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek parliament, the Voule.The conservative New Democracy party of Constantine Mitsotakis, was elected, defeating the Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Andreas Papandreou. rowspan=2 colspan=2...
, 1993
Greek legislative election, 1993
Legislative elections were held in the Hellenic Republic on October 10, 1993. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek parliament, the Voule.The Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Andreas Papandreou, was elected, defeating the conservative New Democracy party of Constantine Mitsotakis.-Results:...
, 1996
Greek legislative election, 1996
Legislative elections were held in the Hellenic Republic on 22 September 1996. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek Parliament.The ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Costas Simitis, was elected, defeating the liberal-conservative New Democracy party of Miltiadis Evert.-Results: rowspan=2...
, 2000, 2004
Greek legislative election, 2004
Legislative elections were held in Greece on March 7, 2004. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek Parliament, the Vouli . The New Democracy Party of Kostas Karamanlis won a decisive victory in the elections, ending eleven years of rule by the Panhellenic Socialist Movement .PASOK was led into the...
, 2007, and 2009
Greek legislative election, 2009
Parliamentary elections were held in Greece on 4 October 2009. An election was not required until September 2011.On 2 September Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis announced he would request President Karolos Papoulias to dissolve Parliament and call an election...
.
From the outset of his political career, Hatzigakis was involved in the accession negotiations of Greece with the European Economic Community. When his cousin Evangelos Averoff was elected the leader of New Democracy
New Democracy
New Democracy or the New Democratic Revolution is a Maoist concept based on Mao Zedong's "Bloc of Four Social Classes" theory during post-revolutionary China which argues that democracy in China will take a decisively distinct path from either the liberal capitalist and/or parliamentary democratic...
in 1981, he tried to renew the party by bringing in new politicians and getting rid of the old guard
Old guard
Old Guard may refer generally to a veteran or group of veterans, a conservative faction, or an older segment of a population...
. During that period, Hatzigakis was considered his right-hand man.
In 1989, New Democracy formed a coalition government with the Coalition of the Left and Progress which at the time included the Communist Party of Greece
Communist Party of Greece
Founded in 1918, the Communist Party of Greece , better known by its acronym, ΚΚΕ , is the oldest party on the Greek political scene.- Foundation :...
. The government was headed by Tzannis Tzannetakis
Tzannis Tzannetakis
Tzannis Tzannetakis was a Greek politician who was briefly Prime Minister of Greece during the political crisis of 1989.-Biography:Tzannetakis was born in Gytheio in the region of Mani in 1927...
and Hatzigakis first entered the Cabinet of Greece as Alternate Minister for the National Economy
Minister for Economy and Finance (Greece)
The Ministry of Finance is a government department responsible for the running of the public finance of the Greek state. The current minister is Evangelos Venizelos, who also holds the post of Deputy Prime Minister of Greece....
and Minister for Labour
Minister for Employment and Social Protection (Greece)
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is a government department of Greece. The incumbent minister is Giorgos Koutroumanis.-List of Ministers of Employment and Social Protection:-List of Ministers of Labour and Social Security:-External links:*...
.
The government was soon replaced by two further short-lived governments under Yiannis Grivas
Yiannis Grivas
Ioannis Grivas , usually referred to as Yannis Grivas , , Greek judge, was the 87th Prime Minister of Greece who served as a non-party interim Prime Minister. Grivas was born in Kato Tithorea, Tithorea, Phthiotis in the region of Lokris. He studied law at the University of Athens and in 1954 he...
and Xenophon Zolotas
Xenophon Zolotas
Xenophon Zolotas , was a Greek economist and served as an interim non-party Prime Minister of Greece.-Early life and career:Born in Athens in 1904, Zolotas studied economics at the University of Athens, and later studied in Leipzig and Paris. He came from a wealthy family of goldsmiths with roots...
. With the 1990 elections, New Democracy managed to form a single-party government under its leader Constantine Mitsotakis
Constantine Mitsotakis
Constantine Mitsotakis , a Greek politician, was born in Chania, Crete. He came from a political family: his father and grandfathers were members of parliament, and the great liberal leader Eleftherios Venizelos was his uncle...
. Hatzigakis was appointed Alternate Minister for Trade in 1990 and Minister for Agriculture
Minister for Rural Development and Food (Greece)
The Ministry of Rural Development and Food is a government department of Greece responsible for the country's agriculture.The current minister, as of 7 September 2010, is Kostas Skandalidis.-List of Ministers of Agriculture:...
from 1991 to 1992. He resigned over matters of principle.
He re-entered the Cabinet as Minister for Justice on 19 September 2007, following New Democracy's victory in the 2007 parliamentary election. From 8 January to 7 October 2009, he served again as Minister for Rural Development and Food
Minister for Rural Development and Food (Greece)
The Ministry of Rural Development and Food is a government department of Greece responsible for the country's agriculture.The current minister, as of 7 September 2010, is Kostas Skandalidis.-List of Ministers of Agriculture:...
.
Hatzigakis has published numerous articles and studies on political, social and economic affairs. He has also participated in many international conferences and parliamentary missions. Hatzigakis is the author of 14 books. Currently he is the longest-serving member of the Hellenic Parliament.