Marietta Giannakou passed away

New Democracy MP Marietta Giannakou, who was fighting in the ICU of the General Aviation Hospital 251, passed away on Sunday, February 27.

Marietta Giannakou was rushed to hospital after falling in a wheelchair and then had to undergo surgery as doctors determined she had a hematoma.

The death of Marietta Giannakou plunges the political life of the country into grief.

Mariori (Marietta) Giannakou was a neurologist-psychiatrist, politician and member of the New Democracy. He was a government official as Minister of Education, Minister of Health, while he was also an MEP with the ND (European People’s Party).

It is noted that Mrs. Giannakou in recent years had given great battles for her health, while she also had serious underlying diseases. Last June, Marietta Giannakou was hospitalized again at the General Aviation Hospital, while in September she was admitted to the ICU of Evangelismos due to complications of the coronavirus pandemic.

Who was Marietta Giannakou?

She was born on June 6, 1951, in Geraki, Laconia, from a family, where her father ran the local OTE office and the post office, while her mother was a teacher. At the age of 11 she lost her father, who was then 45 years old, a fact that according to her statements “cost her a lot” and played a decisive role in her later course, as “it forced her to feel more responsible from such a young age” . After graduating from school, she went to the Medical School of the University of Athens, although her father intended her to be a diplomat. After completing her studies in medicine, she specialized in psychiatry while continuing her studies at the University of Ghent, Belgium.

Although devoted to politics, she married Panagiotis Koutsikos in 1983, with whom she had a daughter. In 1997 he got a divorce.

Marietta Giannakou’s life changed radically on February 6, 2008, when she underwent amputation of her right leg after a fracture. Her diabetes prevented the wound from healing and caused an infection, with the result that her state of health deteriorated rapidly. This forced the doctors of the “Herrikos Dunan” hospital to hold an emergency meeting and decided to proceed with an amputation operation in order to save her life.

On May 28, 2016, Marietta Giannakou suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized at the Red Cross Hospital.

Political career

He was elected MEP with ND in the European elections of 1984, 1989, 1999 and 2009 and head of the Group of MEPs of the New Democracy (1989, 1999 and 2009).

He was elected Member of Parliament for the People’s Republic of Athens in the elections of 1993, 1996, 2000 and 2004 and Member of Parliament for the State in the elections of 2019.

As a Member of Parliament, he was a Member of the Standing Committees on National Defense and Foreign Affairs, Public Administration, Public Order and Justice, the Special Standing Committee on European Affairs, the Parliamentary Committee on Rules of Procedure, the Committee on Public Enterprises, Banks, Communities and Communities. to the Committee for the Revision of the Constitution.

He was also the Chairman of the Parliamentary Friendship Group of Greece – Morocco and a Member of the Friendship Groups of Greece – Croatia and Greece – USA. Finally, he was the Head of the Greek Parliamentary Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

In previous parliamentary terms, there has been:

Vice-Chairman of the Standing Parliamentary Committee on European Affairs and the Parliamentary Committee for the Examination of the Penitentiary System.

Member of the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and National Defense and the Inter-Party Committee on Drugs.

He was Chairman of the Friendship Group with the Parliament of Poland, Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Friendship Group of Greece – USA and Member of the Friendship Groups of Greece – Russia and Greece – Morocco.

As an MEP, he served:

Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee of Inquiry into Drugs and rapporteur on the problem of cocaine in Latin America and the EU Drugs Action Plan 2000-2004.

Vice-Chair of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defense Policy, the Subcommittee on Human Rights, the Subcommittee on Security and Defense, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, the Special Committee on and money laundering, of the Committee on Social Affairs and Employment, Transport, Budgetary Control, Economic, Monetary and Industrial Policy.

He was also a member of the European Parliament Delegations for relations with Latin American countries, for EU relations. with Turkey on relations with the USA, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo and the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.

She was also the rapporteur for the Rules of Procedure of the European Council and the European Parliament on European political parties, the report on EU military structures, the report on the Union’s foreign policy in the light of cultural and religious differences, the report on women in decision-making centers, the report on the fight against poverty and the report on the economic and social integration of the least-favored groups.

She was also President of the European Quart Monde (Fourth World) and Rapporteur of the European Parliament on the European Poverty Program.

He was a Member of the Constituent Assembly for the Future of Europe, a representative of the Greek Parliament (2002-2003).

Political / Social Activities

He served as Minister of Health, Welfare and Social Insurance from 11-4-1990 to 7-8-1991 and Minister of National Education and Religions from 10-3-2004 to 16-9-2007, as well as a Member of the Government Committee and the Council of Ministers.

Founding member of ONNED (1974) and member of its Executive Committee, member of the New Democracy (1979) and the Central Committee (since 1997) and the Executive Committee since 1998. On 29-7-2004 he was elected a member of the Politician Council of ND after the 6th Congress of the Party. In July 2007 he was re-elected a member of the ND Political Council, after the 7th Congress of the Party.

He was an advisor to the President of ND (1981-1984), Secretary of International Relations for a number of years, and a member of the Departments of Ideology, Women’s Affairs, the Council of Heads in charge of employment and Social Security, but also a member of the Special Disciplinary Council (1983) of SW.

She was Greece’s National Coordinator in the EU for the fight against drugs and the head of the Balkan Axis of the Dublin International Group.

He has held the Presidencies of International Political Organizations as Vice-President of the European Democratic Union and as a member of the political bureaus of the European People’s Party, the International Democratic Union, the European Union of Christian Democrats and the International of Christian Democrats.

Founding member of the Association of Women Scientists and the Political Association of Women.

Awards and distinctions

Marietta Giannakou was honored:

With the highest award “Bernando O ‘Higgins” of the Republic of Chile, for her contribution to the restoration of democracy in this country.

With the Award of the Brigadier General of the Order of Virtue of the Republic of Poland for her contribution as Chairman of the Friendship Group of the Greek Parliament with the Parliament of Poland, regarding Poland’s accession to the EU.

With the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (first class) of the Federal Republic of Germany

With the Grand Cross of the Order of the Knights of the Italian Republic

With the Diploma d ‘Honneur “Robert Schuman” of the European People’s Party, for her contribution as Member of the European Parliament to European integration

With the Supreme Order of the “Officier dans l ‘Ordre de Merite” of the French Republic, for her contribution as Minister of National Education and Religions in the French language and in the promotion of the Greek-French friendship.

Source: TheTOC.gr