Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament explained

Post:President
Body:the Boule of the Hellenes
Insignia:Logo of the Hellenic Parliament.png
Insigniasize:220px
Native Name:Πρόεδρος της Βουλής των Ελλήνων
Incumbent:Konstantinos Tasoulas
Incumbentsince:18 July 2019
Style:The Honourable
Appointer:Hellenic Parliament
Termlength:Four years, renewable
Formation:
Current Constitution


Inaugural:Nikitas Stamatelopoulos
Website: Official Website

The speaker of the Hellenic Parliament (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Πρόεδρος της Βουλής των Ελλήνων|lit=President of the [[Boule (ancient Greece)|Boule]] of the [[Greeks|Hellenes]]) is the presiding officer of the Parliament of Greece. The president's term coincides with the term of the assembly, and is chosen by a vote during the opening session, after each legislative election. Following is a list of speakers of the Hellenic Parliament or other national legislative bodies such as the Greek Senate, from the time of the Greek War of Independence till present. The official order of precedence ranks the speaker of the Hellenic Parliament in the 3rd position, after the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister.

The incumbent speaker is Konstantinos Tasoulas of New Democracy.

Constitutional powers

According to the Constitution of Greece, in the event of a temporary absence of the president of the Hellenic Republic on account of illness, travel abroad or similar circumstances, the speaker of the parliament serves as acting president, and exercises the powers of the state president until the president resumes his functions, and in the event that the presidency falls vacant as a result of death or resignation or for any other reason, until the election of a new president.

List of speakers

Provisional government of the War of Independence, 1821–1827

This includes the presidents of the various Greek National Assemblies and the Legislative Corps (Βουλευτικό) during the Greek War of Independence.

Note: all dates are Old Style

Name Entered officeLeft officeOfficeComments
Alexandros MavrokordatosDecember 20, 1821January 15, 1822President of the First National Assembly at Epidaurus
Dimitrios YpsilantisJanuary 15, 1822March 17, 1823President of the Legislative Corps
Petrobey MavromichalisMarch 30, 1823April 18, 1823President of the Second National Assembly at Astros
Ioannis OrlandosApril 26, 1823May 22, 1823President of the Legislative Corps
Alexandros MavrokordatosJuly 12, 1823July 14, 1823President of the Legislative Corps
Panoutsos NotarasOctober 11, 1824April 6, 1826President of the Legislative Corps
Georgios SisinisMarch 19, 1827May 5, 1827President of the Third National Assembly at Troezen

First Hellenic Republic, 1827–1832

This includes the presidents of the National Assemblies and the various legislative bodies under Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias and his successors.

Note: all dates are Old Style

Presidents of the National Assemblies and the Parliament (Βουλή)
NameEntered officeLeft officeOfficeComments
July 20, 1827January, 1828President of the Parliament
Georgios SisinisJuly 11, 1829August 6, 1829President of the Fourth National Assembly at Argos
Dimitrios TsamadosDecember 5, 1831December 8, 1831President of the Fifth National Assembly at Argos
December 15, 1831March 17, 1832President of the Fifth National Assembly at Nafplion
Panoutsos NotarasJune 11, 1832August 20, 1832President of the Fifth National Assembly at Nafplion
Presidents of the Senate (Γερουσία)
NameEntered officeLeft officeComments
Georgios SisinisSeptember 12, 1829June 15, 1830
Dimitrios TsamadosJune 16, 1830December 1831

Reign of King Otto, 1843–1862

When King Otto arrived in Greece, he was still a minor, and until 1835 the country was governed by a regency council. The regents ignored the so-called "" voted by the Fifth National Assembly, and when Otto assumed full powers, he ruled as an absolute monarch. The only "parliamentary" body was the 20-member Council of State (Συμβούλιο της Επικρατείας), but its role was purely consultative and it was strictly controlled by the King.

The 3 September 1843 Revolution forced Otto to grant a constitution, which was promulgated by the . The new constitution provided for a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament composed of the Senate (Γερουσία) and the Parliament (Βουλή).

Presidents of the Parliament

The Parliament was to have no less than 80 members (in practice the number was between 127 and 142) with a three-year tenure (in practice some 2,5 years).

Note: all dates are Old Style

Name Entered officeLeft officePartyComments
Nikitas StamatelopoulosSeptember 7, 1844December 20, 1844Russian Partyhonorary president pro tempore
Kanellos DeligiannisDecember 20, 1844October 31, 1845French Party
December 19, 1845April 14, 1847French Party
September 2, 1847September 10, 1848French Party
November 13, 1848October 5, 1849French Party
Antonios GeorgantasDecember 21, 1849July 27, 1850English Party
Lazaros GiourdisDecember 20, 1850October 30, 1852
Efstratios ParisisNovember 6, 1852October 27, 1853
December 30, 1853April 20, 1854Parliament dismissed by King Otto and not reconvened for 8 months
Thrasyvoulos ZaimisFebruary 2, 1855October 25, 1855
Alexandros KoumoundourosNovember 9, 1855June 27, 1856Resigned
Ioannis ZarkosJune 28, 1856October 1856
Alexandros KontostavlosDecember 7, 1856June 6, 1857Initially president pro tempore, he was formally elected on 28 January 1857
October 30, 18571858
Andreas AvgerinosNovember 23, 1858May 24, 1859
Andreas LondosDecember 17, 1859May 18, 1860
Thrasyvoulos ZaimisOctober 30, 1860November 16, 1860Opposition candidate, his election led to the dismissal of parliament by the King
March 22, 1861August 11, 1861
October 4, 1861May 1862
May 10, 1862September 11, 1862Last president of the Ottonian period, following Otto's ouster in a revolution on October 10, 1862

Presidents of the Senate

The Senate had a minimum of 27 members and could reach 39. Senators had to be over 40 years old, were named by the King and served for life. As a clearly monarchical instrument, it was abolished after 1862.

Note: all dates are Old Style

Name Entered officeLeft officePartyComments
Georgios KountouriotisSeptember 26, 1844April 8, 1847French Party
September 17, 1847October 17, 1853
November 23, 1853August 11, 1861

First period of the Constitutional monarchy, 1863–1924

After the ousting of King Otto, elections were held to form the, which effectively ran the country until the arrival of King George I in October 1863. The Assembly thereafter promulgated the Constitution of 1864 and dissolved itself on 16 November 1864. The new constitution was liberal, established the principle of popular sovereignty and defined the country's new form of government as a Constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy (βασιλευομένη δημοκρατία), but retained considerable executive powers for the king. The Senate was abolished, and a unicameral parliament (Βουλή) of 181 members with a four-year term was proclaimed as the country's sole legislative body.

The first decade was marked by frequent changes of government, especially due to the king's interference. A landmark was the adoption of the "dedilomeni principle", championed by Charilaos Trikoupis, in 1875, which forced the king to appoint only governments that commanded a parliamentary majority and had the "declared (dedilomeni) confidence of the parliament". The 1880s and 1890s were also marked by political instability. The Goudi coup of 1909 resulted in the arrival of Eleftherios Venizelos and the August 1910 elections for a Revisoniary Parliament. New elections for a new Revisoniary Parliament were held in November, and the Constitution of 1911 was promulgated in June 1911. Political upheaval in the form of the National Schism dominated Greek politics from 1915 on, resulting in the Asia Minor Disaster and the abolition of the monarchy in 1924.

Note: all dates are Old Style

Name Entered officeLeft officePartyComments
Dimitrios KriezisDecember 10, 1862January 17, 1863President pro tempore of the
Zinovios ValvisJanuary 17, 1863February 17, 1863President of the Second National Assembly along with four vice-presidents; it was agreed that each of the vice-presidents would in turn occupy the post of president. Valvis headed a provisional government composed of Assembly members from 13 February to 25 March.
Aristidis MoraitinisFebruary 17, 1863May 20, 1863One of the original four vice-presidents of the Second National Assembly
Diomidis KyriakosMay 20, 1863July 20, 1863One of the original four vice-presidents of the Second National Assembly
Aristidis MoraitinisJuly 20, 1863October 28, 1863President of the Second National Assembly
October 28, 1863April 11, 1864President of the Second National Assembly
Epameinondas DeligeorgisApril 11, 1864August 13, 1864President of the Second National Assembly
Ioannis MessinezisAugust 13, 1864November 16, 1864President of the Second National Assembly until its dissolution
July 8, 1865January 5, 1866President of the parliament resulting from the 1865 elections
January 10, 1866December 14, 1866
Lykourgos KrestenitisDecember 14, 1866September 25, 1867
September 25, 1867December 21, 1867
June 24, 1868November 18, 1868President of the parliament resulting from the 1868 elections
November 18, 1868March 17, 1869
Dimitrios ChristidisJuly 12, 1869December 17, 1870President of the parliament resulting from the 1869 elections
December 17, 1870October 25, 1871
October 25, 1871December 28, 1871
Spyridon MiliosJune 7, 1872November 28, 1872President of the parliament resulting from the 1872 elections
Ioannis DeligiannisMay 11, 1873January 30, 1874President of the parliament resulting from the 1873 elections
Thrasyvoulos ZaimisJanuary 20, 1874April 24, 1874
November 14, 1874December 3, 1874President of the parliament resulting from the 1874 elections
Stylianos KasimatisMarch 20, 1875May 19, 1875
Alexandros KoumoundourosOctober 9, 1875October 15, 1875President of the parliament resulting from the 1875 elections
Thrasyvoulos ZaimisOctober 4, 1876March 18, 1877
Andreas AvgerinosMay 16, 1877October 18, 1878
Sotirios SotiropoulosOctober 18, 1878July 6, 1879
July 6, 1879July 14, 1879
Sotirios SotiropoulosNovember 29, 1879October 10, 1880President of the parliament resulting from the 1879 elections
Andreas AvgerinosOctober 10, 1880October 22, 1881
February 26, 1882November 4, 1883President of the parliament resulting from the 1881 elections
Pavlos KalligasNovember 4, 1883February 11, 1885
June 26, 1885October 12, 1885President of the parliament resulting from the 1885 elections
October 12, 1885May 8, 1886
Stefanos StefanopoulosMay 8, 1886November 5, 1886
Andreas AvgerinosFebruary 22, 1887August 17, 1890President of the parliament resulting from the 1887 elections
Konstantinos KonstantopoulosDecember 15, 1890February 18, 1891President of the parliament resulting from the 1890 elections
November 15, 1891March 12, 1892
Vasilios VoudourisJune 8, 1892February 20, 1895President of the parliament resulting from the 1892 elections
Alexandros ZaimisMay 29, 1895November 3, 1897President of the parliament resulting from the 1895 elections
Alexandros RomasNovember 3, 1897December 9, 1898
Nikolaos TsamadosApril 2, 1899November 6, 1900President of the parliament resulting from the 1899 elections
November 6, 1900November 8, 1901
November 8, 1901September 19, 1902
Dimitrios RallisFebruary 5, 1903June 18, 1903President of the parliament resulting from the 1902 elections
Nikolaos LeonidasJune 18, 1903December 15, 1903
Nikolaos ChatziskosDecember 15, 1903December 12, 1904
Alexandros RomasApril 7, 1905November 28, 1905President of the parliament resulting from the 1905 elections
Nikolaos BoufidisNovember 28, 1905February 1, 1906
May 8, 1906November 18, 1906President of the parliament resulting from the 1906 elections
November 18, 1906October 12, 1908
Konstantinos KoumoundourosOctober 12, 1908September 24, 1909
Alexandros RomasSeptember 24, 1909February 4, 1910
Nikolaos TsamadosFebruary 4, 1910July 1, 1910
(von Hößlin)September 27, 1910October 12, 1910President of the First Revisionary Parliament, resulting from the August 1910 elections
Nikolaos StratosJanuary 24, 1911July 7, 1911President of the Second Revisionary Parliament, resulting from the November 1910 elections
Ioannis TsirimokosJuly 7, 1911December 21, 1911President of the Second Revisionary Parliament
August 19, 1912October 2, 1912President of the parliament resulting from the 1912 elections
October 2, 1912 February 25, 1915Liberal Party
August 3, 1915October 25, 1915Liberal PartyPresident of the parliament resulting from the May 1915 elections
January 22, 1916June 9, 1916President of the parliament resulting from the December 1915 elections
Themistoklis SophoulisJuly 20, 1917September 10, 1920Liberal PartyPresident of the restored 1915 parliament ("Lazarus Parliament")
Konstantinos Argasaris–LomvardosJanuary 18, 1921September 15, 1922President of the, resulting from the 1920 elections
Eleftherios VenizelosJanuary 5, 1924January 11, 1924Liberal PartyPresident of the, resulting from the 1923 elections

Second Hellenic Republic, 1924–1935

The, resulting from the December 1923 elections, declared the abolition of the monarchy and constituted itself as the Fourth Constitutional Assembly on 25 March 1924. It was abolished on 30 September 1925 after the coup d'état led by Theodoros Pangalos on 26 June 1925, and the first regular parliament of the Second Hellenic Republic came about only after Pangalos' fall, with the 1926 elections. The new parliament voted the Constitution of 1927, which also re-established the Senate, for which the first elections were held in 1929.

Presidents of the Parliament

Name Entered officeLeft officePartyComments
Konstantinos RaktivanJanuary 21, 1924September 30, 1925Liberal PartyPresident of the
Themistoklis SophoulisDecember 6, 1926July 9, 1928Liberal PartyPresident of the parliament resulting from the 1926 elections
Ioannis TsirimokosOctober 19, 1928July 3, 1930Liberal PartyPresident of the parliament resulting from the 1928 elections
Themistoklis SophoulisNovember 17, 1930August 20, 1932Liberal Party
November 2, 1932January 24, 1933President of the parliament resulting from the 1932 elections
March 30, 1933April 1, 1935People's PartyPresident of the parliament resulting from the 1933 elections
July 1, 1935October 10, 1935President of the Fifth National Assembly, resulting from the 1935 elections. Dissolved by General Georgios Kondylis following his coup d'état on 10 October
Themistoklis SophoulisMarch 6, 1936August 4, 1936Liberal PartyPresident of the parliament resulting from the 1936 elections (Third Revisionary). Dissolved by Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas, establishment of the 4th of August Regime

Presidents of the Senate

Name Entered officeLeft officePartyComments
Alexandros ZaimisMay 22, 1929December 14, 1929NoneResigned after his election as President of the Republic
Leonidas ParaskevopoulosMarch 18, 1930August 19, 1932None, but pro-Liberal Party
Stylianos GonatasNovember 4, 1932April 1, 1935Liberal PartySenate abolished by the Panagis Tsaldaris government, following the suppression of a pro-Venizelist and pro-Republican coup attempt

Second period of the Constitutional monarchy, 1946–1967

This includes the post-World War II period up to the establishment of the Greek military junta of 1967–1974.

Name Entered officeLeft officePartyComments
Ioannis TheotokisApril 4, 1946November 30, 1949People's Party
December 1, 1949January 8, 1950 People's Party
Dimitrios GontikasApril 4, 1950October 10, 1952Liberal Party
December 15, 1952November 16, 1953Greek Rally
November 16, 1953September 26, 1963Greek Rally
National Radical Union
Ilias TsirimokosDecember 17, 1963January 8, 1964Center Union
Georgios Athanasiadis-NovasMarch 19, 1964July 15, 1965Center UnionResigned after being nominated for PM by King Constantine II, beginning the Apostasia
Emmanouil BaklantzisApril 30, 1965September 25, 1965Center UnionPresident pro tempore
November 15, 1965April 14, 1967National Radical UnionParliament dissolved following coup d'état

Third Hellenic Republic, 1974 to the present

The fall of the junta brought about a major regime change (metapolitefsi), which included the abolition of the monarchy by referendum. The strong two-party system of PASOK and New Democracy made the parliamentary life of the Third Hellenic Republic the most regular in Greek political history, with the exception of the 1989–90 political crisis. After 2011, the prevailing political system was shattered through the effects of the prolonged Greek debt crisis, leading to the marginalization of PASOK and the election, for the first time, of a left-wing party, the Coalition of the Radical Left, to power in the January 2015 elections.

PortraitName Entered officeLeft officePartyComments
December 9, 1974October 22, 1977Parliament (Fifth Revisionary) resulting from the 1974 elections
December 12, 1977September 19, 1981New DemocracyParliament resulting from the 1977 elections
Ioannis AlevrasNovember 17, 1981May 7, 1985Panhellenic Socialist MovementParliament resulting from the 1981 elections
June 18, 1985June 2, 1989Parliament (Sixth Revisionary) resulting from the 1985 elections
July 7, 1989October 12, 1989New DemocracyParliament resulting from the June 1989 elections
November 23, 1989March 12, 1990Parliament resulting from the November 1989 elections
April 22, 1990September 11, 1993Parliament resulting from the 1990 elections
Apostolos KaklamanisOctober 22, 1993August 24, 1996Panhellenic Socialist MovementParliament resulting from the 1993 elections
October 8, 1996March 14, 2000Parliament resulting from the 1996 elections
April 21, 2000February 11, 2004Parliament (Seventh Revisionary) resulting from the 2000 elections
Anna Benaki-PsaroudaMarch 19, 2004August 18, 2007New DemocracyParliament resulting from the 2004 elections, first female speaker
Dimitris SioufasSeptember 27, 2007September 7, 2009 New DemocracyParliament (Eighth Revisionary) resulting from the 2007 elections
Philippos PetsalnikosOctober 15, 2009April 11, 2012Panhellenic Socialist MovementParliament resulting from the 2009 elections
Vyron PolydorasMay 18, 2012May 19, 2012New DemocracyParliament resulting from the May 2012 elections
Vangelis MeimarakisJune 29, 2012December 31, 2014New DemocracyParliament resulting from the June 2012 elections
Zoi KonstantopoulouFebruary 6, 2015August 28, 2015Coalition of the Radical LeftParliament resulting from the January 2015 elections
Nikos VoutsisOctober 4, 2015June 11, 2019Coalition of the Radical Left
Konstantinos TasoulasJuly 18, 2019April 22, 2023New DemocracyParliament resulting from the 2019 elections
May 29, 2023Parliament resulting from May 2023 elections
July 4, 2023IncumbentParliament resulting from the June 2023 elections

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See also

Sources