Greek President Is Sworn In for a Second Term
Costis Stephanopoulos was sworn in Saturday, becoming the nation’s first president to enter a second term since the collapse of the country’s seven-year military dictatorship in 1974.
Stephanopoulos, who was reelected by Parliament last month, will hold the largely ceremonial post for another five years.
Premier Costas Simitis, other political leaders and lawmakers attended the inauguration ceremony in Parliament. It was the final session for the assembly, which was dissolved ahead of general elections April 9.
Highly popular in opinion polls, Stephanopoulos, a 74-year-old lawyer and former conservative Cabinet minister, received support from the governing Panhellenic Socialist Movement and main opposition conservatives. He garnered 269 votes in the 300-member Parliament to win reelection Feb. 8.
“His reelection displays the maturity of our political system,” Simitis said.
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