President-elect Pavlopoulos, 4 blots in his mild-mannered career (video)

Author: newsroom  | Published: February 19, 2015

The pro-European veteran conservative will be Greece’s next president for the next five years

Conservative ND lawmaker Prokopis Pavlopoulos, 64, was voted in as president on Wednesday with 233 votes in favor, whereas 32 MPs voted “present” and 30 deputies voted in favor centrist Potami party’s candidate Nikos Alivizatos. He received the support of the ruling Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) and its junior coalition partner, the Independent Greeks (ANEL), as well as the New Democracy party.

As president-elect, Pavlopoulos will take over from Karolos Papoulias in March. Though a safe choice with cross-party backing, Pavlopoulos is not untainted by political controversy.

* Tens of thousands of public sector jobs were created out of thin air and filled in dubious fashion during his tenure as Interior and Public Administration minister from 2004-2009, another reasons why Kyriakos Mitsotakis (son of former prime minister Konstandinos Mitsotakis and brother of Dora Bakoyannis) cited as not being present to vote for him.

* His reputation — on the right and center — was tarnished in late 2008 when riots broke out after the killing of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos by a policeman. To his credit, he handed in his resignation as Athens was hit by riots, however, former prime minister Costas Karamanlis did not accept it at the time. In order to prevent further bloodshed, he ensured that policeman Epameinondas Korkoneas was brought to justice. Greek Parliamentary Speaker Zoe Konstantopoulou commended him for his handling of the murder, labeling it as a “peak moment” in Pavlopoulos’ career “when democracy was tried.” (This case was another that Mitsotakis had cited as a blemish in Pavlopoulos’ career as a public figure).

* He has been criticized — on the left — for not voting against austerity measures in an outright manner, however, he distanced himself from the bailout measures.

* In 2012, he did not lift a finger to help Communist Party (KKE) lawmaker Liana Kanelli when she received repeated slaps by neo-Nazi Golden Dawn (GD) lawmaker Ilias Kasidiaris, shortly after he threw a glass of water on SYRIZA’s Rena Dourou.