No news could have surprised and shocked Greek public opinion more than the death of Lena Samara, a young person, a young woman of only 34 years of age.

Relatives, friends, and colleagues will say their last goodbye today at noon, at 1:00 pm, at the Holy Church of Agioi Theodoroi of the 1st Cemetery of Athens.

Lena Samara was, of course, the eldest daughter of Antonis Samaras. On hearing the news, however, nothing else mattered but the loss, the instinctive reaction of pure shock. Regardless of whether Lena Samara was implicitly famous and at the same time almost unknown more widely and by her own choice, everyone’s thoughts automatically went to the immeasurable grief of her loved ones. Those who are forced to continue their lives henceforth without her noble and unobtrusive presence.

Few photos have been traced in the media archives, almost all family photos, and in all of them she appears happy, upbeat, positive, a smile all over her face. And even less information was gathered amid the pressure to piece together her profile like-for-like from whatever had previously been made public.

She was born in May 1990 in Pylos. She was a student at Athens College until 2008, attending Greece’s most prestigious private school, an educational institution with which her family has close and long-standing ties.

As was probably self-evident, Eleni-Danae Samara continued the tradition of her father Antonis and her uncle, architect Alexandros Samaras, who also graduated from the College – with the latter having additionally served as president of the educational institution.

Moreover, Lena is a descendant of Penelope, wife of the College’s founder, Stephen Delta, and daughter of Emmanuel Benakis. Heavy genes, heavy surname – even a heavy name since she was christened Eleni in memory of Antonis Samaras’ mother, Eleni Zanna.

After college, Lena earned a degree in civil engineering from London’s Saint George’s City College in the summer of 2015, when her father was no longer prime minister or president of New Democracy, a development that may have somewhat lessened the weight of the stifling publicity off her shoulders.

She had followed some of Antonis Samaras’ footsteps in politics, perhaps out of admiration and curiosity, especially during his 10-month tenure as culture minister in 2009. But for how she lived the last 10 years of her life, she chose to leave the trail of memories only to family and those she trusted. And so suddenly, she passed away on the evening of Thursday, August 7, 2025.

Dizziness, evacuation to Sismanoglio, blood tests, and a CT scan, referral to the Neurology Department of “Evangelismos” – and that’s it. A 34-year-old woman had a seizure and a cardiac arrest.

The official announcement by the health ministry hides the general widespread grief of Greek society over Lena Samara’s death behind neutral, officious jargon: “During the investigation of the causes of her condition, the patient deteriorated rapidly and despite the superhuman efforts of the medical and nursing staff of the hospital, the patient died on 07/08 at 22.29”.

How? Why? Perhaps it no longer matters and there are certainly no words. There are simply no words. May the earth be light to cover her and may the whole family of “Proto Thema” extend our warmest condolences to the family of Antonis Samaras.

The wish of the family

In a statement, the Samaras family asks, from those who wish, to support organizations with charitable purposes and activities instead of placing a wreath at Lena Samaras’ funeral.

Specifically, it is stated:

“Instead of a wreath for Lena, the Samaras family asks those who wish to do so to support organizations with charitable purposes and activities. This is what our Lena would like.

In particular, they can help :

• 1.
• IBAN: GR9301104270000042748015718 (NBG)

• 2. the Women’s Community Monastery of St. Hilarion of Premahon of Aridia
• IBAN: GR6702603220000120201023242 (Eurobank)

• 3.
• IBAN: GR7302602600000820101744921 (Eurobank)”