Antonis Samaras

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Antonis Samaras, (born May 23, 1951 in Athens) is a Greek politician, leader of the New Democracy and former Prime Minister of Greece.

Samaras was Greek Foreign Minister in the Nea Demokratia (New Democracy) government of Konstantinos Mitsotakis (1989-1992), a hardliner on the "Macedonian Question" and on other national issues. After being removed from his post in 1992 over the Macedonian Question, Samaras resigned from being a Member of the Parliament. In June 1993, he founded his own party, "Political Spring" (Greek: Πολιτική Άνοιξη).

Political Spring gained 4.9% in the National Elections of 1993 earning ten seats in the Hellenic Parliament. It gained 8.7% in the elections for the European Parliament in 1994 earning two seats. Its decline started in the National Elections of 1996, when it gained 2.94%, just below the national limit of 3%, thus not being able to earn any seats in the Parliament. It participated in the elections for European Parliament in 1999, but it got 2.3% which was again below the limit and considered another failure. Political Spring did not participate in the elections of 2000, but Antonis Samaras publicly supported the New Democracy party. Before the next general elections in April 2004, Samaras joined again New Democracy and he was elected as a MEP in June 2004.

On January 8, 2009, Samaras was once again appointed to a cabinet post as Minister for Culture. On November 29, 2009, he was elected to succeed Costas Karamanlis as leader of the New Democracy.

Samaras was sworn in as Prime Minister of Greece on June 20, 2012 heading a coalition government made up of New Democracy, PASOK and the Democratic Left. He left office on January 26, 2015 after losing the parliamentary election, on the prior day, to Alexis Tsipras and the SYRIZA party.


Preceded by:
Georgios Papoulias
Minister for Foreign Affairs
1989–1990
Succeeded by:
Georgios Papoulias
Preceded by:
Georgios Papoulias
Minister for Foreign Affairs
1993–1996
Succeeded by:
Konstantinos Mitsotakis



Preceded by:
Panagiotis Pikrammenos
Prime Minister of Greece
2012 - 2015
Succeeded by:
Alexis Tsipras



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