Menios Koutsogiorgas
Encyclopedia
Agamemnon Koutsogiorgas commonly known as Menios Koutsogiorgas (Μένιος Κουτσόγιωργας), was a Greek
lawyer and politician. As a close associate of Andreas Papandreou
, the founder and leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement
(PASOK), Koutsogiorgas emerged as the most powerful cabinet member during PASOK's 1981–1989 government, and was widely regarded as Papandreou's heir apparent. Embroiled in the George Koskotas
scandal however, he was brought before a Special Tribunal. During the procedure he collapsed in the court room on 11 April 1991 and died a week later.
in 1957–1958. During the Axis Occupation of Greece in the Second World War, Koutsogiorgas was active in the Omiros resistance group
, and was arrested and imprisoned by the Italian occupation authorities.
In the post-war era, he became a prominent Athens lawyer, and was closely associated with Georgios Papandreou, the leader of the Liberal Party
and later of the Centre Union. During the ASPIDA scandal of 1965, he was defence attorney to the Georgios Papandreou's son, Andreas Papandreou
. During the Greek military junta of 1967–1974, Koutsogiorgas participated in attempts to organize armed resistance against the regime as early as 1967, and was arrested and imprisoned after arms and radio transmitters were discovered at his home. He was later released, but re-arrested in 1970 and held for a while, undergoing interrogation by the infamous EAT-ESA
.
(PASOK) during the metapolitefsi
.
He was elected Member of Parliament in the first national election that took place in November 1974 after the fall of the military government. He held a parliament seat for the perfecture of Achaea in all successive national elections until 1989. In the first PASOK cabinet, Koutsogiorgas was appointed Minister to the Presidency of the Government on 21 October 1981, a post he held until 17 January 1984, when he was named Minister for the Interior. He held the post until resigning on 9 May 1985 before the parliamentary elections
, with the exception of the period 22 May – 21 June 1984, when he was replaced by an acting minister for the European Parliament election
. During this time he played a major role in the March 1985 political crisis over the issue of the re-nomination of then-President of Greece
Constantine Karamanlis
for a second term. Papandreou had promised it several times, but the PASOK party base and Koutsogiorgas himself fiercely opposed it. Eventually, largely through Koutsogiorgas' own machinations, PASOK proposed the judge Christos Sartzetakis
for the post.
Following PASOK's electoral victory in the 1985 election, Koutsogiorgas was re-appointed Interior Minister on 5 June 1985. In the reshuffle of 26 July 1985, he assumed the Public Order portfolio as well, keeping it until 25 April 1986. He remained Interior Minister until 5 February 1987, and on 23 September 1987, he was appointed Vice-President of the Government
and Minister for Justice
. While popular with the broader PASOK electorate but lacking a strong party base, this appointment made him the de facto number two in the government. During Papandreou's illness in 1988 and his absence from Greece in August-September for a heart bypass operation in the United Kingdom
Koutsogiorgas functioned as the virtual Prime Minister.
At the same time however, he came under increasing criticism from the press and from within PASOK for his handling of the George Koskotas
and his Bank of Crete
scandal, in particular over a bank secrecy
law that allowed Koskotas to evade scrutiny. He continued to enjoy the support of Papandreou: although he was forced to quit the posts of Vice-President of the Government and Justice Minister on 18 November 1988, he was re-appointed as Minister to the Presidency of the Government. The mounting crisis peaked in March 1989, when tapes were released which purported to show that he had received 2 million US dollars in a Swiss bank account for "tailoring" the bank secrecy law for Koskotas. Papandreou survived a vote of confidence in parliament, but Koutsogiorgas submitted his resignation on 16 March 1989.
On 18 May, the PASOK Central Committee voted against him standing as a candidate during the June 1989 parliamentary elections until the investigation on the Bank of Crete case was complete. On 27 September, in a Parliament vote Koutsogiorgas along with Andreas Papandreou
, Dimitris Tsovolas
and Giorgos Petsos were sent to a Special Tribunal set up to investigate the Koskotas scandal. Alone among the accused, Koutsogiorgas was placed into pre-trial custody at Korydallos prison
on 2 October 1990. The trial began in a heavily politicized atmosphere on 11 March 1991. On 11 April, while examining a witness, Koutsogiorgas collapsed in the courtroom and died seven days later. His funeral gathered large crowds in the center of Athens and developed into a political protest against the continuing proceedings of the Special Tribunal. The later was seen by a large part of the press and the population as politically motivated and a result of partizan politics.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
lawyer and politician. As a close associate of Andreas Papandreou
Andreas Papandreou
Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic...
, the founder and leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement
Panhellenic Socialist Movement
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement , known mostly by its acronym PASOK , is one of the two major political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic party to win a majority in parliament.The party is a socialist party...
(PASOK), Koutsogiorgas emerged as the most powerful cabinet member during PASOK's 1981–1989 government, and was widely regarded as Papandreou's heir apparent. Embroiled in the George Koskotas
George Koskotas
George Koskotas is a former banker and publisher who spearheaded a financial scandal that brought down the PASOK government in 1989.Koskotas was born in Greece on October 5, 1954. He migrated to the United States with his parents in 1970. Koskotas grew up in the United States, returned to Greece...
scandal however, he was brought before a Special Tribunal. During the procedure he collapsed in the court room on 11 April 1991 and died a week later.
Early life and professional career
Koutsogiorgas was born in May 1922 in the village of Rodini in the Achaea Prefecture. He studied at the Law School of the University of Athens, and continued his studies in the Law Faculty of the University of ParisUniversity of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
in 1957–1958. During the Axis Occupation of Greece in the Second World War, Koutsogiorgas was active in the Omiros resistance group
Greek Resistance
The Greek Resistance is the blanket term for a number of armed and unarmed groups from across the political spectrum that resisted the Axis Occupation of Greece in the period 1941–1944, during World War II.-Origins:...
, and was arrested and imprisoned by the Italian occupation authorities.
In the post-war era, he became a prominent Athens lawyer, and was closely associated with Georgios Papandreou, the leader of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Greece)
The Liberal Party was one of the major Greek political parties of the early 20th century.- History :Founded as the Xipoliton party in Crete , its early leaders were Kostis Mitsotakis and Eleftherios Venizelos...
and later of the Centre Union. During the ASPIDA scandal of 1965, he was defence attorney to the Georgios Papandreou's son, Andreas Papandreou
Andreas Papandreou
Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic...
. During the Greek military junta of 1967–1974, Koutsogiorgas participated in attempts to organize armed resistance against the regime as early as 1967, and was arrested and imprisoned after arms and radio transmitters were discovered at his home. He was later released, but re-arrested in 1970 and held for a while, undergoing interrogation by the infamous EAT-ESA
Greek Military Police
The Greek Military Police , generally known in English by the acronym ESA was the military police branch of the Greek Army in the years 1951-1974.. It developed into a powerful paramilitary organization and a stronghold of right-wing, conservative Army officers....
.
Political career
As a close associate of Andreas Papandreou, Koutsogiorgas became a founding member of the Panhellenic Socialist MovementPanhellenic Socialist Movement
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement , known mostly by its acronym PASOK , is one of the two major political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic party to win a majority in parliament.The party is a socialist party...
(PASOK) during the metapolitefsi
Metapolitefsi
The Metapolitefsi was a period in Greek history after the fall of the Greek military junta of 1967–1974 that includes the transitional period from the fall of the dictatorship to the Greek legislative elections of 1974 and the democratic period immediately after these elections.The long...
.
He was elected Member of Parliament in the first national election that took place in November 1974 after the fall of the military government. He held a parliament seat for the perfecture of Achaea in all successive national elections until 1989. In the first PASOK cabinet, Koutsogiorgas was appointed Minister to the Presidency of the Government on 21 October 1981, a post he held until 17 January 1984, when he was named Minister for the Interior. He held the post until resigning on 9 May 1985 before the parliamentary elections
Greek legislative election, 1985
Legislative elections were held in the Hellenic Republic on 2 June, 1985. At stake were 300 seats in the Greek parliament, the Voule.The ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Andreas Papandreou, was re-elected, defeating the conservative New Democracy party of Constantine Mitsotakis ....
, with the exception of the period 22 May – 21 June 1984, when he was replaced by an acting minister for the European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 1984 (Greece)
The European Parliament election of 1984 in Greece was the election of the delegation from Greece to the European Parliament in 1984. This was the second European election and the first time Greece voted with the rest of the Community....
. During this time he played a major role in the March 1985 political crisis over the issue of the re-nomination of then-President of Greece
President of Greece
The President of the Hellenic Republic , colloquially referred to in English as the President of Greece, is the head of state of Greece. The office of the President of the Republic was established after the Greek republic referendum, 1974 and formally by the Constitution of Greece in 1975. The...
Constantine Karamanlis
Constantine Karamanlis
Konstantínos G. Karamanlís , commonly anglicised to Constantine Karamanlis or Caramanlis, was a four-time Prime Minister, the 3rd and 5th President of the Third Hellenic Republic and a towering figure of Greek politics whose political career spanned much of the latter half of the 20th century.-...
for a second term. Papandreou had promised it several times, but the PASOK party base and Koutsogiorgas himself fiercely opposed it. Eventually, largely through Koutsogiorgas' own machinations, PASOK proposed the judge Christos Sartzetakis
Christos Sartzetakis
Christos Sartzetakis is a Greek jurist and former supreme justice of the Court of Cassation , who served as the fourth President of the Third Hellenic Republic from 1985 to 1990. He was born in Neapoli, Thessaloniki in 1929...
for the post.
Following PASOK's electoral victory in the 1985 election, Koutsogiorgas was re-appointed Interior Minister on 5 June 1985. In the reshuffle of 26 July 1985, he assumed the Public Order portfolio as well, keeping it until 25 April 1986. He remained Interior Minister until 5 February 1987, and on 23 September 1987, he was appointed Vice-President of the Government
Deputy Prime Minister of Greece
The Deputy Prime Minister of Greece is the deputy of the Prime Minister of Greece and the second most senior member of the Greek Cabinet. The post is not permanent, rather it is created on an ad hoc basis...
and Minister for Justice
Minister for Justice (Greece)
The Ministry of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights is a government department of Greece entrusted with the supervision of the country's legal and judicial system. It was founded as the State Justice Secretariat in April 1833, and was known as the Ministry of Justice until October 2009...
. While popular with the broader PASOK electorate but lacking a strong party base, this appointment made him the de facto number two in the government. During Papandreou's illness in 1988 and his absence from Greece in August-September for a heart bypass operation in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Koutsogiorgas functioned as the virtual Prime Minister.
At the same time however, he came under increasing criticism from the press and from within PASOK for his handling of the George Koskotas
George Koskotas
George Koskotas is a former banker and publisher who spearheaded a financial scandal that brought down the PASOK government in 1989.Koskotas was born in Greece on October 5, 1954. He migrated to the United States with his parents in 1970. Koskotas grew up in the United States, returned to Greece...
and his Bank of Crete
Bank of Crete
Following the departure of the Ottoman forces in December 1898, the Cretan government under Eleftherios Venizelos established the Bank of Crete with the assistance of the National Bank of Greece. The bank received the exclusive privilege, for thirty years, of issuing banknotes in the island of...
scandal, in particular over a bank secrecy
Bank secrecy
Bank secrecy is a legal principle in some jurisdictions under which banks are not allowed to provide to authorities personal and account information about their customers unless certain conditions apply...
law that allowed Koskotas to evade scrutiny. He continued to enjoy the support of Papandreou: although he was forced to quit the posts of Vice-President of the Government and Justice Minister on 18 November 1988, he was re-appointed as Minister to the Presidency of the Government. The mounting crisis peaked in March 1989, when tapes were released which purported to show that he had received 2 million US dollars in a Swiss bank account for "tailoring" the bank secrecy law for Koskotas. Papandreou survived a vote of confidence in parliament, but Koutsogiorgas submitted his resignation on 16 March 1989.
On 18 May, the PASOK Central Committee voted against him standing as a candidate during the June 1989 parliamentary elections until the investigation on the Bank of Crete case was complete. On 27 September, in a Parliament vote Koutsogiorgas along with Andreas Papandreou
Andreas Papandreou
Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic...
, Dimitris Tsovolas
Dimitris Tsovolas
Dimitris Tsovolas is a politician of Greece.He was born at Melissourgoi, a village outside Arta, Epirus, Greece in 1942. He studied the Law at the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki. He worked as a lawyer in Arta from 1970 to 1977.He later began his career in politics as a member of PASOK...
and Giorgos Petsos were sent to a Special Tribunal set up to investigate the Koskotas scandal. Alone among the accused, Koutsogiorgas was placed into pre-trial custody at Korydallos prison
Korydallos Prison
Korydallos Prison Complex is the main prison of Greece, housing both maximum-security men and women. It is located in Korydallos, Piraeus. Its most famous detainees are the November 17 terrorist members and Colonel Nikolaos Dertilis, the last surviving member of the military junta. Korydallos...
on 2 October 1990. The trial began in a heavily politicized atmosphere on 11 March 1991. On 11 April, while examining a witness, Koutsogiorgas collapsed in the courtroom and died seven days later. His funeral gathered large crowds in the center of Athens and developed into a political protest against the continuing proceedings of the Special Tribunal. The later was seen by a large part of the press and the population as politically motivated and a result of partizan politics.
Honours & Decorations
- Grand Officier of the Ordre national du MériteOrdre National du MériteThe Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
, French Republic - Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash (Großes Goldenes Ehrenzeichen am Bande), Republic of Austria
- Knight of the Order of Prince Henry (Ordem do Infante Dom Henrique), Republic of Portugal
- Commandery with Star of the Order of Merit of the People's Republic of Poland
- Order of the NileOrder of the NileThe Order of the Nile is Egypt's highest state honor. The award was instituted in 1915 by Sultan Hussein Kamel to be awarded by Egypt for exceptional services to the nation...
, Arab Republic of Egypt - Grand Cross of the Republic of Cyprus
- Grand Cross of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
- Medal for the National Resistance (1941-44), Hellenic Republic