Evaggelos Venizelos, president of PaSoK

Evangelos Venizelos was born in Thessaloniki on 1.1.1957. He is married to Lila Bakatselou and has a daughter, Elvina.He speaks English and French.

Academic career

He studied Law in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and continued with postgraduate studies at the University of Paris II, France. He has an Honorary PhD from La Trobe University Melbourne, Australia.

He is a University Professor of Constitutional Law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

He has published many academic studies and legal textbooks, as well as books dealing with the political issues surrounding the role of mass media in modern democracies, role of government institutions, European affairs, Greek foreign policy, culture and development policy in 21st Century, etc. His studies have been published in most academic journals and numerous articles in the national and, also, international press.

Political career

Evangelos Venizelos was member of the Central Council of Students Union of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1977) and the National Council of Students’ Unions (1975).

He was elected MP (PASOK) in Thessaloniki (A) Constituency in the general elections of 1993, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2007 and 2009. He was a member of the Constitutional Revision Committee and the general “raporteur” on behalf of the parliamentary majority in the last Constitutional Revision of the year 2001.

Evangelos Venizelos has been member of the Central Committee of PASOK since 1990 and member of PASOK Executive Office.

Since 1993 he has served in ministerial positions under the PASOK governments of Andreas Papandreou, Kostas Simitis and George Papandreou.  In particular, he has served as:

• Minister for Press and Mass Media- Government Spokesman (1993-95)

• Minister for Transport and Communications (1995-96)

• Minister for Justice (1996)

• Minister for Culture & Sports (1996 – 1999)

• Minister for Development, Energy, Industry, Trade, Tourism and Technology (1999-2000)

• Minister for Culture & Sports 2000-2004 (in charge of coordinating the entire range of aspects of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games preparation (Infrastructures, relations with International Olympic Committee etc.)

• Minister for National Defence (2009-2011)

• Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister (17.06.2011 - 18.03.2012)

In 18.03.2012, he resigned from his giovernment positions as he was elected President of PASOK.