Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament

Speaker of
the Hellenic Parliament
Incumbent
Nikos Voutsis

since 4 October 2015
Style Mister President
Appointer Elected by the Hellenic Parliament
Term length coincides with the term of the assembly
Formation 1844
Current Constitution:
11 June 1975
Succession First
Website Official Website
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Greece

The Speaker, properly the President of the Hellenic Parliament (Greek: Πρόεδρος της Βουλής των Ελλήνων). The president's term coincides with the term of the assembly, and he or she 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 current Speaker is Mr. Nikos Voutsis (Syriza).

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 office Left office Office Comments
Alexandros Mavrokordatos December 20, 1821 January 15, 1822 President of the First National Assembly at Epidaurus
Dimitrios Ypsilantis January 15, 1822 March 17, 1823 President of the Legislative Corps
Petrobey Mavromichalis March 30, 1823 April 18, 1823 President of the Second National Assembly at Astros
Ioannis Orlandos April 26, 1823 May 22, 1823 President of the Legislative Corps
Alexandros Mavrokordatos July 12, 1823 July 14, 1823 President of the Legislative Corps
Panoutsos Notaras October 11, 1824 April 6, 1826 President of the Legislative Corps
Georgios Sisinis March 19, 1827 May 5, 1827 President 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)
Name Entered office Left office Office Comments
Nikolaos Renieris July 20, 1827 January, 1828 President of the Parliament
Georgios Sisinis July 11, 1829 August 6, 1829 President of the Fourth National Assembly at Argos
Dimitrios Tsamados December 5, 1831 December 8, 1831 President of the Fifth National Assembly at Argos
December 15, 1831 March 17, 1832 President of the Fifth National Assembly at Nafplion
Panoutsos Notaras June 11, 1832 August 20, 1832 President of the Fifth National Assembly at Nafplion
Presidents of the Senate (Γερουσία)
Name Entered office Left office Comments
Georgios Sisinis September 12, 1829 June 15, 1830
Dimitrios Tsamados June 16, 1830 December 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 "Hegemonic Constitution" 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 "3rd of September" National Assembly. 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 office Left office Party Comments
Nikitas Stamatelopoulos September 7, 1844 December 20, 1844 Russian Party honorary president pro tempore
Kanellos Deligiannis December 20, 1844 October 31, 1845 French Party
Rigas Palamidis December 19, 1845 April 14, 1847 French Party
Dimitrios Kallifronas September 2, 1847 September 10, 1848 French Party
Dimitrios Chatziskos November 13, 1848 October 5, 1849 French Party
Antonios Georgantas December 21, 1849 July 27, 1850 English Party
Lazaros Giourdis December 20, 1850 October 30, 1852
Efstratios Parisis November 6, 1852 October 27, 1853
Panagiotis Varvoglis December 30, 1853 April 20, 1854 Parliament dismissed by King Otto and not reconvened for 8 months
Thrasyvoulos Zaimis February 2, 1855 October 25, 1855
Alexandros Koumoundouros November 9, 1855 June 27, 1856 Resigned
Ioannis Zarkos June 28, 1856 October 1856
Alexandros Kontostavlos December 7, 1856 June 6, 1857 Initially president pro tempore, he was formally elected on 28 January 1857
Dimitrios Boudouris October 30, 1857 1858
Andreas Avgerinos November 23, 1858 May 24, 1859
Andreas Londos December 17, 1859 May 18, 1860
Thrasyvoulos Zaimis October 30, 1860 November 16, 1860 Opposition candidate, his election led to the dismissal of parliament by the King
Anargyros Chatzianargyrou March 22, 1861 August 11, 1861
Filon Filonos October 4, 1861 May 1862
Leonidas Petimezas May 10, 1862 September 11, 1862 Last 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 office Left office Party Comments
Georgios Kountouriotis September 26, 1844 April 8, 1847 French Party
Anagnostis Deligiannis September 17, 1847 October 17, 1853
Anagnostis Monarchidis November 23, 1853 August 11, 1861

First period of the Constitutional monarchy, 1863–1924

After the ousting of King Otto, elections were held to form the Second National Assembly, 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 proclaiemd 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 office Left office Party Comments
Dimitrios Kriezis December 10, 1862 January 17, 1863 President pro tempore of the Second National Assembly
Zinovios Valvis January 17, 1863 February 17, 1863 President 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 Moraitinis February 17, 1863 May 20, 1863 One of the original four vice-presidents of the Second National Assembly
Diomidis Kyriakos May 20, 1863 July 20, 1863 One of the original four vice-presidents of the Second National Assembly
Aristidis Moraitinis July 20, 1863 October 28, 1863 President of the Second National Assembly
Ioannis Messinezis October 28, 1863 April 11, 1864 President of the Second National Assembly
Epameinondas Deligeorgis April 11, 1864 August 13, 1864 President of the Second National Assembly
Ioannis Messinezis August 13, 1864 November 16, 1864 President of the Second National Assembly until its dissolution
Efthymios Kechagias July 8, 1865 January 5, 1866 President of the parliament resulting from the 1865 elections
January 10, 1866 December 14, 1866
Lykourgos Krestenitis December 14, 1866 September 25, 1867
Iakovos Paximadis September 25, 1867 December 21, 1867
Triandafyllos Lazaretos June 24, 1868 November 18, 1868 President of the parliament resulting from the 1868 elections
Dimitrios Drosos November 18, 1868 March 17, 1869
Dimitrios Christidis July 12, 1869 December 17, 1870 President of the parliament resulting from the 1869 elections
Konstantinos Lomvardos December 17, 1870 October 25, 1871
Dimitrios Chatziskos October 25, 1871 December 28, 1871
Spyridon Milios June 7, 1872 November 28, 1872 President of the parliament resulting from the 1872 elections
Ioannis Deligiannis May 11, 1873 January 30, 1874 President of the parliament resulting from the 1873 elections
Thrasyvoulos Zaimis January 20, 1874 April 24, 1874
Ioannis Zarkos November 14, 1874 December 3, 1874 President of the parliament resulting from the 1874 elections
Stylianos Kasimatis March 20, 1875 May 19, 1875
Alexandros Koumoundouros October 9, 1875 October 15, 1875 President of the parliament resulting from the 1875 elections
Thrasyvoulos Zaimis October 4, 1876 March 18, 1877
Andreas Avgerinos May 16, 1877 October 18, 1878
Sotirios Sotiropoulos October 18, 1878 July 6, 1879
Nikolaos Papamichalopoulos July 6, 1879 July 14, 1879
Sotirios Sotiropoulos November 29, 1879 October 10, 1880 President of the parliament resulting from the 1879 elections
Andreas Avgerinos October 10, 1880 October 22, 1881
Spyridon Valaoritis February 26, 1882 November 4, 1883 President of the parliament resulting from the 1881 elections
Pavlos Kalligas November 4, 1883 February 11, 1885
Dimitrios Kallifronas June 26, 1885 October 12, 1885 President of the parliament resulting from the 1885 elections
Antonios Rikakis October 12, 1885 May 8, 1886
Stefanos Stefanopoulos May 8, 1886 November 5, 1886
Andreas Avgerinos February 22, 1887 August 17, 1890 President of the parliament resulting from the 1887 elections
Konstantinos Konstantopoulos December 15, 1890 February 18, 1891 President of the parliament resulting from the 1890 elections
Nikolaos Georgiadis November 15, 1891 March 12, 1892
Vasilios Voudouris June 8, 1892 February 20, 1895 President of the parliament resulting from the 1892 elections
Alexandros Zaimis May 29, 1895 November 3, 1897 President of the parliament resulting from the 1895 elections
Alexandros Romas November 3, 1897 December 9, 1898
Nikolaos Tsamados April 2, 1899 November 6, 1900 President of the parliament resulting from the 1899 elections
Nikolaos Boufidis November 6, 1900 November 8, 1901
Theodoros Retsinas November 8, 1901 September 19, 1902
Dimitrios Rallis February 5, 1903 June 18, 1903 President of the parliament resulting from the 1902 elections
Nikolaos Leonidas June 18, 1903 December 15, 1903
Nikolaos Chatziskos December 15, 1903 December 12, 1904
Alexandros Romas April 7, 1905 November 28, 1905 President of the parliament resulting from the 1905 elections
Nikolaos Boufidis November 28, 1905 February 1, 1906
May 8, 1906 November 18, 1906 President of the parliament resulting from the 1906 elections
Nikolaos Levidis November 18, 1906 October 12, 1908
Konstantinos Koumoundouros October 12, 1908 September 24, 1909
Alexandros Romas September 24, 1909 February 4, 1910
Nikolaos Tsamados February 4, 1910 July 1, 1910
Konstantinos Esslin (von Hößlin) September 27, 1910 October 12, 1910 President of the First Revisionary Parliament, resulting from the August 1910 elections
Nikolaos Stratos January 24, 1911 July 7, 1911 President of the Second Revisionary Parliament, resulting from the November 1910 elections
Ioannis Tsirimokos July 7, 1911 December 21, 1911 President of the Second Revisionary Parliament
August 19, 1912 October 2, 1912 President of the parliament resulting from the 1912 elections
Konstantinos Zavitsianos October 2, 1912 February 25, 1915 Liberal Party
August 3, 1915 October 25, 1910 Liberal Party President of the parliament resulting from the May 1915 elections
Michail Theotokis January 22, 1916 June 9, 1916 President of the parliament resulting from the December 1915 elections
Themistoklis Sophoulis July 20, 1917 September 10, 1920 Liberal Party President of the restored 1915 parliament ("Lazarus Parliament")
Konstantinos Argasaris–Lomvardos January 18, 1921 September 15, 1922 President of the Third National Assembly, resulting from the 1920 elections
Eleftherios Venizelos January 5, 1924 January 11, 1924 Liberal Party President of the Fourth National Assembly, resulting from the 1923 elections

Second Hellenic Republic, 1924–1935

The Fourth National Assembly, 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 office Left office Party Comments
Konstantinos Raktivan January 21, 1924 September 30, 1925 Liberal Party President of the Fourth National Assembly
Themistoklis Sophoulis December 6, 1926 July 9, 1928 Liberal Party President of the parliament resulting from the 1926 elections
Ioannis Tsirimokos October 19, 1928 July 3, 1930 Liberal Party President of the parliament resulting from the 1928 elections
Themistoklis Sophoulis November 17, 1930 August 20, 1932 Liberal Party
November 2, 1932 January 24, 1933 President of the parliament resulting from the 1932 elections
Charalambos Vozikis March 30, 1933 April 1, 1935 People's Party President of the parliament resulting from the 1933 elections
July 1, 1935 October 10, 1935 President of the Fifth National Assembly, resulting from the 1935 elections. Dissolved by General Georgios Kondylis following his coup d'état on 10 October
Themistoklis Sophoulis March 6, 1936 August 4, 1936 Liberal Party President 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 office Left office Party Comments
Alexandros Zaimis May 22, 1929 December 14, 1929 None Resigned after his election as President of the Republic
Leonidas Paraskevopoulos March 18, 1930 August 19, 1932 None, but pro-Liberal Party
Stylianos Gonatas November 4, 1932 April 1, 1935 Liberal Party Senate 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 office Left office Party Comments
Ioannis Theotokis April 4, 1946 November 30, 1949 People's Party
Praxitelis Moutzouridis December 1, 1949 January 8, 1950 People's Party
Dimitrios Gontikas April 4, 1950 October 10, 1952 Liberal Party
Ioannis Makropoulos December 15, 1952 November 16, 1953 Greek Rally
Konstantinos Rodopoulos November 16, 1953 September 26, 1963 Greek Rally, later National Radical Union
Ilias Tsirimokos December 17, 1963 January 8, 1964 Center Union
Georgios Athanasiadis-Novas March 19, 1964 July 15, 1965 Center Union Resigned after being nominated for PM by King Constantine II, beginning the Apostasia
Emmanouil Baklantzis April 30, 1965 September 25, 1965 Center Union President pro tempore
Dimitrios Papaspyrou November 15, 1965 April 14, 1967 National Radical Union Parliament 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.

Name Entered office Left office Party Comments
Konstantinos Papakonstantinou December 9, 1974 December 12, 1977 New Democracy Parliament (Fifth Revisionary) resulting from the 1974 elections
Dimitrios Papaspyrou December 12, 1977 November 17, 1981 New Democracy Parliament resulting from the 1977 elections
Ioannis Alevras November 17, 1981 May 7, 1985 Panhellenic Socialist Movement Parliament resulting from the 1981 elections
June 18, 1985 July 10, 1989 Parliament (Sixth Revisionary) resulting from the 1985 elections
Athanasios Tsaldaris July 7, 1989 October 12, 1989 New Democracy Parliament resulting from the June 1989 elections
November 23, 1989 March 12, 1990 Parliament resulting from the November 1989 elections
April 22, 1990 September 11, 1993 Parliament resulting from the 1990 elections
Apostolos Kaklamanis October 22, 1993 August 24, 1996 Panhellenic Socialist Movement Parliament resulting from the 1993 elections
October 8, 1996 March 14, 2000 Parliament resulting from the 1996 elections
April 21, 2000 February 11, 2004 Parliament (Seventh Revisionary) resulting from the 2000 elections
Anna Benaki-Psarouda March 19, 2004 August 18, 2007 New Democracy Parliament resulting from the 2004 elections, first woman speaker
Dimitris Sioufas September 27, 2007 September 7, 2009 New Democracy Parliament (Eighth Revisionary) resulting from the 2007 elections
Philippos Petsalnikos October 15, 2009 April 11, 2012 Panhellenic Socialist Movement Parliament resulting from the 2009 elections
Vyron Polydoras May 18, 2012 May 19, 2012 New Democracy Parliament resulting from the May 2012 elections
Vangelis Meimarakis June 29, 2012 December 31, 2014 New Democracy Parliament resulting from the June 2012 elections
Zoi Konstantopoulou February 6, 2015 October 4, 2015 Coalition of the Radical Left Parliament resulting from the January 2015 elections
Nikos Voutsis October 4, 2015 incumbent Coalition of the Radical Left Parliament resulting from the September 2015 elections

See also

Sources

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