Former Greek politician, Theodoros Pangalos, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 84. His death was announced by his family on social media.
According to amna.gr, Pangalos was a historic member of the PASOK party and a former minister and deputy premier under PASOK governments.
He was born in 1938 to a family of Armed Forces officers and in 1978, he ran for Elefsina unsuccessfully after having joined PASOK and Andreas Papandreou since the party’s creation in 1974.
He first won a seat in Parliament for Attica in 1981 and never lost an election after that. In Papandreou’s first cabinet, he was appointed Minister of Trade and later transferred to the Foreign Ministry as Deputy Minister responsible for European affairs.
After PASOK winning the elections of October 2009, under Andreas Papandreou’s son George, Pangalos was appointed Deputy Premier and Alternate Prime Minister of Greece. He kept this position in both cabinet reshuffles and remained Deputy Premier under the interim government of Lucas Papademos.
He retired from active politics shortly before the elections of May 2012.
Politicians and officials pay tribute to Pangalos:
Greece’s caretaker Prime Minister, Ioannis Sarmas, paid tribute to Pangalos and said he was “a leading actor in Greece’s political life,” memorable “for his sharp mind and in-depth thinking.”
Former Greek Prime Minister, Kostas Simitis, said that Pangalos’ contribution to Greece will always be remembered as he was “a strict critic of political developments, aiming at achieving a comprehensive and accurate picture of them.”
Evangelos Venizelos said Pangalos was “steeped in history from a very young age. He entered the post-junta landscape having already collected knowledge, academic titles, and political experiences mostly from the communist Left. He matched PASOK’s whirlpool activity.”
Venizelos described him as “multifaceted and charming,” and a man who “stood on the right side of history” during very challenging times for the country.
Source: amna.gr
