Costas Simitis, the former Greek Prime Minister and a key figure in modernising Greece, has died at the age of 88. State broadcaster ERT reported that Simitis was taken to hospital in Corinth early Sunday morning after being found unconscious at his holiday home west of Athens. Doctors confirmed he had no pulse on arrival, and an autopsy will determine the cause of death.
The Greek government declared a four-day national mourning period, and Simitis will be honoured with a state funeral. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his sorrow, describing Simitis as a “worthy and noble political opponent” whose leadership marked significant milestones, including Greece’s entry into the eurozone and Cyprus’s accession to the European Union.
Simitis was a founding member of the Socialist PASOK party and succeeded its charismatic leader, Andreas Papandreou, as prime minister in 1996. Known for his pragmatic and reformist approach, Simitis oversaw transformative policies during his eight-year tenure, including Greece’s adoption of the euro in 2001. He also played a pivotal role in securing the 2004 Olympic Games for Athens and launching major infrastructure projects.
Despite his achievements, Simitis’s tenure was not without controversy. His administration faced criticism over a debt swap deal linked to Greece’s eurozone entry and internal opposition to pension reforms in 2001, which ultimately weakened his leadership. Five months before the 2004 Olympics, Simitis stepped down as party leader, paving the way for a conservative victory in the subsequent elections.
Tensions with neighbouring Turkey marked Simitis’s time in office, particularly a near-conflict over uninhabited islets in 1996 and a diplomatic crisis involving Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan in 1999. However, these challenges also led to improved Greek-Turkish relations through so-called “quake diplomacy” after both nations experienced devastating earthquakes that same year.
Simitis’s legacy extended beyond his premiership. In 2010, his warnings about Greece’s financial mismanagement proved prescient when the country fell under the oversight of the International Monetary Fund and the EU.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides praised Simitis as an “outstanding leader” whose actions secured Cyprus’s EU membership. Current PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis described him as a pivotal figure in Greece’s post-junta history.
Simitis is survived by his wife Daphne, their two daughters, and a granddaughter.
