Dora Bakoyannis

Theodora "Dora" Bakoyannis
120th Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece
In office 14 February 2006 – Incumbent
Prime Minister	Kostas Karamanlis
Preceded by	Petros G. Molyviatis
75th Mayor of Athens
In office 1 January 2003 – February 14, 2006
Preceded by	Dimitris Avramopoulos
Succeeded by	Fotini Pipili (acting; later Theodoros Behrakis)
15th Minister for Culture of Greece
In office 1992 – 1993
Preceded by	Anna Benaki-Psarouda
Succeeded by	Melina Mercouri
Born	May 6 1954 (1954--) (age 53) Greece
Political party	New Democracy Party
Religion	Greek Orthodox

Theodora "Dora" Bakoyannis (née Mitsotakis) (Greek: Ντόρα Μπακογιάννη) (born 6 May 1954) is a Greek politician, the current Greek Foreign Affairs Minister and former Mayor of Athens. She was the first woman mayor of Athens and is the first woman to serve as Greek Foreign Affairs Minister , the most senior position yet held by a female greek politician. It is a widely held notion among Greeks that she may one day become Greece's first female prime minister or president. At a height of 6 feet 0.5 inches or 1.84 metres (declared by herself on national TV), she also stands out physically among her fellow countrywomen.

Early Life

She is the eldest of four children of veteran Greek politician Constantine Mitsotakis, who was Prime Minister of Greece from 1990 to 1993 and leader of the country's conservative party, New Democracy, from 1984 to 1993. During her early school years she attended the German School of Athens and Paris. Bakoyannis studied political science and public law at the University of Athens, and politics and communication in Munich. She is fluent in English, French and German.

Political Life

Entry into Politics and Family

In 1968, the Mitsotakis family fled to Paris to escape the military dictatorship that ruled Greece for seven years from 1967. They returned to Athens in 1974 when military rule collapsed. That same year she married Pavlos Bakoyiannis, a respected journalist and politician. They had two children, Alexia and Kostas. Over the next several years she worked in the Ministry of Economic Coordination and, later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When her father was elected leader of the New Democracy party in 1984, she became his chief of staff.

In 1989, members of the "November 17" terrorist group assassinated her husband, Pavlos Bakoyiannis, then a Member of Parliament, as he entered his office building.

Member of Parliament, Minister for Culture and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs

Dora Bakoyannis

When her father was elected Prime Minister the following year, Bakoyannis served first as a Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, and then as Culture Minister. She was elected three times as Member of Parliament for Evritania, and later for Athens, by a sweeping majority. When New Democracy lost the 1993 elections and her father resigned, she successfully ran for a seat in the party central committee. In 2000 the new leader of the party, Kostas Karamanlis, appointed her shadow foreign and defence minister. She is now married to businessman Isidoros Kouvelos. According to Greek family law she is entitled to use any of three surnames – her maiden one, those of her late and current husband, or any combination thereof. She has chosen to use her late husband's.

In June 2002 the investigation against the "November 17" terrorist group intensified, and a series of arrests netted 19 individuals, most of whom have acknowledged being members of the terrorist group. Among them are three men who allegedly confessed to participating in the murder of Pavlos Bakoyiannis.

Mayor of Athens

Election as Mayor

In the summer of 2002, when Karamanlis was looking for a way to demonstrate his party's growing strength against the ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement in local elections, he picked Bakoyannis to run for Mayor of Athens. She led a large field of candidates in the October 2002 elections and not being able to secure the win in the first round, she defeated her Socialist opponent, Christos Papoutsis, in the second round. (Election Results)

Hosting the Olympic Games

She successfully hosted 2004 Olympic Games, and was the first woman to serve as mayor of a city hosting the Games. Press worldwide issued apoligies to the Bakoyannis Administration for previous statements doubting Greece's preparedness for the games following the major success of the Olympics. It was the first time in living memory the Olympic Games returned to their home, Greece and easily one of the most memorable events in the history of the Olympics.

In 2005, she received the honor of being elected World Mayor.

Leaving Office

She left office on 14 February, 2006 to become Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Karanmalis Government and was replaced by Acting Mayor Fotini Pilipi.

The Olympic Games were a huge success thanks to, in no small measure, Mrs. Bakoyannis

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Dora Bakoyannis with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Taking office on 14 February Bakoyannis became Greece's first female Minister for Foreign Affairs. Her ascension to this post made her the highest ranking woman in the history of the Greek Executive, and put her in charge of Greece's most powerful Ministry. She has, since taking office, worked with many foreign leaders and relationships with foreign nations. Primary concerns of Bakoyannis and her Ministry include relations with Cyprus, Turkey, the Republic of Macedonia, and the United States as well as many other nations and the European Union and United Nations. After the September 2007 elections Mrs. Bakoyannis was one of the few cabinet members to be renominated. While she is the most senior cabinet member, she is now, unlike in all other cabinets in which she served, the only woman.

President of the United Nations Security Council

When the presidency of the United Nations Security Council rotates to Greece Mrs. Bakoyannis takes office as President of the Council.

Political Future

Party Leadership, Prime Minister, President

She is speculated to become her nation's first woman Prime Minister, something her father has hinted at. It is expected she will wait for Karanmalis to lose an election, or otherwise leave office, before entering for party leader. However her experience and popularity is likley to move her to the top of any list of contenders. She may also seek the Greek Presidency, however that is considered unlikely as it is merely a symbolic office.

See also

• List of famous tall women
• Cabinet of Greece
• Mayor of Athens
• Minister for Foreign Affairs (Greece)
• Minister for Culture (Greece)
• Mayor of Athens
• 2004 Olympic Games
• United Nations Security Council

External links

• Official Personal Site (in Greek)
• The Konstantinos K. Mitsotakis Foundation
• CityMayors.com profile
• Dora Bakoyannis, Mayor of Athens, wins the 2005 World Mayor Award.

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