Funeral of Marietta Giannakou held in Athens
The funeral of Marietta Giannakou, former education minister and longstanding MP with the ruling conservative New Democracy party, took place on Wednesday with the politician being laid to rest at Athens’s First Cemetery. The President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, former Prime Minster Kostas Karamanlis, and several ministers and MPs from New Democracy were all in attendance.
Giannakou had had a history of health problems, including a recent fall at home, a heart attack six years ago and the amputation of a leg in 2008, due to complications from diabetes. She passed away on Sunday at the age of 70.
“She was an example of a self-made politician and of a strong woman,” said the prime minister during his speech, adding that “she never shied away from responsibility. She had a rare breadth of knowledge and stood out for her clear and tangible choices. Her kindness that over the years shaped a unique example of political conduct that was accompanied by radical rhetoric. She proved that a progressive mindset is not a catchphrase nor is it simply joining a political sphere. It is a lifestyle.”
