NEWS

Top judge set to become first female president on Wednesday

Top judge set to become first female president on Wednesday

A high court judge is set to become Greece's first female president in a vote on Wednesday after two opposition parties sided with the center-right government's nomination.

Katerina Sakellaropoulou, 63, has served as president of the Council of State, a top administrative court, for the past 15 months.

A government spokesman, Stelios Petsas, on Tuesday said Sakellaropoulou was set to receive "well beyond" the 200 votes needed for her election in a vote scheduled in the 300-seat Parliament on Wednesday.

Two center-left opposition parties have already backed Sakellaropoulou's nomination, raising the total number of lawmakers from parties declaring support to 266.

Greece has a historically low level of women in senior positions in politics. In the current cabinet, all but one of the 18 senior positions are held by men.

The president holds a largely ceremonial position and serves a five-year term. If elected, Sakellaropoulou will succeed President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, a 69-year-old veteran conservative politician and academic.

[AP]

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.