Former Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, who took Greece into the European Union’s single currency, the euro, died on Sunday at the age of 88. He died at his summer home in the Peloponnese, Greek media reported.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis took to Twitter to express his condolences, calling Simitis “a worthy and noble political opponent” and honoring his role in Greece’s national progress.
Simitis, a co-founder of the Socialist PASOK party, came to power in 1996 after Andreas Papandreou resigned. His premiership is characterized by important achievements, such as Greece’s adoption of the euro in 2001, the successful bid for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, and significant infrastructure improvements.
However, Simitis was criticized about a debt-for-debt deal that made transparency about Greece’s finances questionable. He stepped down in 2004 from the party leader post to enable George Papandreou to step in. Years later, he sounded the warning that Greece’s financial collapse would occur, just in time before an IMF bailout in 2010.
Simitis was born in 1936 to politically active parents and studied law, economics, and politics in Europe before entering Greek politics. He leaves behind his wife and two daughters.
