ATHENS, Greece (Gct) — Greece held a state funeral Thursday for former Prime Minister Costas Simitis, honoring the architect of the nation's entry into the eurozone. Simitis, who served as prime minister from 1996 to 2004, died last weekend at age 88.
Mourners gathered outside Athens' Metropolitan Cathedral to pay their respects as Simitis was laid to rest with the honors befitting a sitting prime minister. Following the cathedral service, a procession carried him to his final resting place in Athens' First Cemetery, alongside other prominent Greek figures. While Simitis' body did not lie in state, per his family's wishes, the public had the opportunity to express their condolences outside the cathedral.
Simitis' legacy is deeply intertwined with Greece's modernization and integration into Europe. His most significant achievement was ushering Greece into the eurozone in 2001. He also played a key role in securing the 2004 Olympic Games for Athens, overseeing extensive infrastructure development projects, including a new airport and subway lines, in preparation. Furthermore, Simitis facilitated Cyprus's accession to the European Union in 2004.
A committed pro-European and co-founder of the PASOK socialist party in 1974, Simitis led a modernizing faction within the party. He eventually succeeded Andreas Papandreou as prime minister in 1996. His eight-year tenure marks the longest for a Greek administration.
A four-day period of national mourning was declared following Simitis' death. He passed away after being taken to a Corinth hospital from his holiday home, where medical staff were unable to revive him. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, who lauded Simitis as an "outstanding leader," attended the funeral.
Born in 1936 to politically active parents, Simitis studied law in Germany and economics and politics at the London School of Economics. He later taught law at the University of Athens. His elder brother, Spiros, who died in 2023, was a renowned legal scholar in Germany.
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