Fotis Kouvelis

Fotios-Fanourios "Fotis" E. Kouvelis (Greek Φώτης Κουβέλης) is a Greek politician who heads the Democratic Left party.

Kouvelis was born on September 3, 1948 in Volos, Thessaly, Greece. He studied Law and Political Science at the University of Athens and is a lawyer by profession.

Kouvelis was a founding member of the Eurocommunist KKE Interior political party and was a member of its Central Committee. He also participated in the establishment of its successor - the Greek Left (EAR) party. The Greek Left joined Synaspismos in 1989 and Kouvelis became a member of its Executive Committee.

Kouvelis served as Minister for Justice in the coalition government of Tzannis Tzannetakis from July 2 until October 12, 1989.

He was elected to the Hellenic Parliament for the first time in November 1989, under the banner of Synaspismos, in the B' District of Athens. He has subsequently been re-elected several times since.

In June 2010, Kouvelis led a breakaway group of Synaspismos members into a new political party which he named the "Democratic Left".