Konstantinos Karamanlis

The statesman who restored democracy in Greece after the fall of the military government and led Greece into the EC.

Life

Son of a Macedonian farming family

Karamanlis came from a farming family in Macedonia and was Prime Minister from 1955 to 1963, driving Greece's postwar economic recovery. After losing the 1963 election, he went into exile in Paris.

Exile in Paris

In 1967 Greek army officers staged a coup and set up the "Regime of the Colonels." In 1974 the military government collapsed amid the Cyprus crisis; invited to return home and form a government, he founded New Democracy, oversaw the referendum that abolished the monarchy, introduced a new constitution, and restored democracy.

Restoring democracy

He led Greece into the European Community in 1981, served twice as President, in 1980–1985 and 1990–1995, and died in 1998.

Legacy

Karamanlis presided over Greece's peaceful transition from military government to democracy and is regarded as the founder of contemporary Greek democracy.

Did you know? His nephew Kostas Karamanlis later also served as Prime Minister of Greece.

Key dates

• 1955Became Prime Minister
• 1963Exile in Paris
• 1974Returned home to lead the restoration of democracy
• 1980Became President
• 1981Greece joins the EC
• 1998Died