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Costas Simitis, former Greek prime minister and socialist leader, dies at 88

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Costas Simitis, former Greek prime minister and socialist leader, dies at 88
News

News

Costas Simitis, former Greek prime minister and socialist leader, dies at 88

2025-01-05 19:06 Last Updated At:19:10

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Costas Simitis, former prime minister of Greece and the architect of the country’s joining the common European currency, the euro, has died at age 88, state TV ERT reported.

Simitis was taken to a hospital in the city of Corinth early Sunday morning from his holiday home west of Athens, unconscious and without a pulse, the hospital’s director was quoted as saying by Greek media. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.

The government decreed a four-day period of official mourning. Simitis will receive a state funeral.

Warm tributes appeared, and not just from political allies.

“I bid farewell to Costas Simitis with sadness and respect. A worthy and noble political opponent,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a Facebook post, also saluting the “good professor and moderate parliamentarian.”

Another conservative politician, former European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, recalled how he, as mayor of Athens, had cooperated “seamlessly and warmly” with Simitis in organizing the Olympic Games.

“He served the country with devotion and a sense of duty. ... He was steadfast in facing difficult challenges and promoted policies that changed the lives of (many) citizens,” Avramopoulos added.

Simitis, a co-founder of the Socialist PASOK party in 1974, eventually became the successor to the party’s founding leader, Andreas Papandreou, with whom he had an often contentious relationship that shaped the party’s nature. Simitis was a low-key pragmatist where Papandreou was a charismatic, fiery populist. He was also a committed pro-European, while Papandreou banked on strong opposition to Greece’s joining what was then the European Economic Community in the 1970s, before changing tack once he became prime minister.

When the profligate first four years of socialist rule, from 1981 to 1985, resulted in a rapidly deteriorating economy, Papandreou elevated Simitis to be finance minister and oversee a tight austerity program. Finances improved, inflation was partly tamed, but Simitis was pushed to resign in 1987 when Papandreou, eyeing an upcoming election, announced a generous wages policy, undermining the goals of the austerity program.

The socialists returned to power with Papandreou still at the helm in 1993, but he was ailing and finally resigned the premiership in January 1996. A tight two rounds of voting among the socialist lawmakers unexpectedly elevated Simitis to the post of prime minister, a post he held until 2004.

Simitis considered Greece’s entry into the eurozone, in January 2001, as the signature achievement of his premiership. But he also helped secure the 2004 Olympic Games for Athens and presided over a vast program of infrastructure building, including a brand new airport and two subway lines, to help host the games. He also helped Cyprus join the European Union in 2004.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides praised Simitis as an “outstanding leader” who has earned a special place in the history of not only Greece, but also of Cyprus.

“His calm political voice, far from populism, and his political course of action were based on a longstanding philosophy of modernization and reform,” Christodoulides said in a written statement.

Simitis' critics on the right and left did their best to denigrate his legacy, highlighting a dubious debt swap concluded after the country had joined the eurozone as an attempt to massage the debt numbers.

In the end, it was determined opposition from his own party, including trade union leaders, to pension reform in 2001 that fatally weakened Simitis’ administration. He decided to resign his party post and not contest the 2004 election, five months before the Olympics, rather than face certain defeat to the conservatives.

George Papandreou, son of the socialist party’s founder, succeeded him as party leader, and in 2008 expelled Simitis from the PASOK parliamentary group after the two men clashed over policies, including Papandreou’s proposal to hold a referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon. Simitis left parliament in 2009, but not before issuing a prescient warning that financial mismanagement would bring the country under the tutelage of the International Monetary Fund, which would impose harsh austerity. In the end, it was the IMF, jointly with the EU, that imposed a harsh regime on a bankrupt country in 2010.

Costas Simitis was born on June 23, 1936, the younger son of two politically active parents. His lawyer father Georgios was a member of the left-leaning resistance “government” during the German occupation and his mother, Fani, was an active feminist.

Simitis studied law at the University of Marburg, in Germany, in the 1950s, and economics and politics at the London School of Economics in the early 1960s. He later taught law at the University of Athens. His elder brother Spiros, who died in 2023, was a noted legal scholar in Germany, specializing in data protection.

Simitis is survived by his wife of 60 years, Daphne, two daughters and a granddaughter.

——

Menelaos Hadjicostis contributed to this story from Nicosia, Cyprus.

FILE - Then Greek Premier Costas Simitis, waves to ruling Socialist party's congress delegates shortly before the start of his speech in Athens on Thursday June 27, 1996. Costas Simitis, a Prime Minister of Greece from 1996 to 2004 and the architect of the country's joining the common European currency, the euro, has died at 88, state TV ERT reports. (AP photo/ Aris Saris, File)

FILE - Then Greek Premier Costas Simitis, waves to ruling Socialist party's congress delegates shortly before the start of his speech in Athens on Thursday June 27, 1996. Costas Simitis, a Prime Minister of Greece from 1996 to 2004 and the architect of the country's joining the common European currency, the euro, has died at 88, state TV ERT reports. (AP photo/ Aris Saris, File)

FILE - Then Greek Premier Costas Simitis, waves to his Socialist party delegates who elected him Sunday June 30, 1996, as party chairman. Costas Simitis, a Prime Minister of Greece from 1996 to 2004 and the architect of the country's joining the common European currency, the euro, has died at 88, state TV ERT reports. (AP Photo/ Aris Saris, File)

FILE - Then Greek Premier Costas Simitis, waves to his Socialist party delegates who elected him Sunday June 30, 1996, as party chairman. Costas Simitis, a Prime Minister of Greece from 1996 to 2004 and the architect of the country's joining the common European currency, the euro, has died at 88, state TV ERT reports. (AP Photo/ Aris Saris, File)

FILE - Greece's Prime Minister Costas Simitis declares a razor-thin victory over conservative opponents following general elections, in Athens on Monday, April 10, 2000. Costas Simitis, a Prime Minister of Greece from 1996 to 2004 and the architect of the country's joining the common European currency, the euro, has died at 88, state TV ERT reports.(AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)

FILE - Greece's Prime Minister Costas Simitis declares a razor-thin victory over conservative opponents following general elections, in Athens on Monday, April 10, 2000. Costas Simitis, a Prime Minister of Greece from 1996 to 2004 and the architect of the country's joining the common European currency, the euro, has died at 88, state TV ERT reports.(AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)

FILE - Greece's Prime Minister Costas Simitis declares a razor-thin victory over conservative opponents following general elections, in Athens on Monday, April 10, 2000. Costas Simitis, a Prime Minister of Greece from 1996 to 2004 and the architect of the country's joining the common European currency, the euro, has died at 88, state TV ERT reports. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)

FILE - Greece's Prime Minister Costas Simitis declares a razor-thin victory over conservative opponents following general elections, in Athens on Monday, April 10, 2000. Costas Simitis, a Prime Minister of Greece from 1996 to 2004 and the architect of the country's joining the common European currency, the euro, has died at 88, state TV ERT reports. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)

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Leonard scores 28 points to lead the Clippers past the Pelicans 114-98

2025-04-03 13:23 Last Updated At:13:41

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points and James Harden had 21 points and 10 assists to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 114-98 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.

Ivica Zubac added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers, who won for the fourth time in five games and 12th in 15 games. Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 16 points.

Jose Alvarado had 17 points and 10 assists for the Pelicans, who are 3-7 in their last 10. Bruce Bowen added 16 points and Yves Missi grabbed 12 rebounds.

Los Angeles led 59-47 at halftime, paced by Leonard's 18 points.

The Clippers outscored the Pelicans by four points over the final two quarters, with Bogdanovic scoring a team-high 12 second-half points.

Pelicans: New Orleans shut down forward Zion Williamson (back) and guard CJ McCollum (right foot) for the season on Monday and the Pelicans continue to struggle down the stretch.

Clippers: Los Angeles stayed hot at home coming off a 3-1 road trip during which the Clippers' only loss came to Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland.

The Clippers took the lead at 12-10 on a layup by Harden with 4:49 remaining in the first quarter and never trailed again.

The Clippers outscored the Pelicans by 27 points on 3-pointers, making 13 compared to just four for the Pelicans. New Orleans shot 4 for 22 from 3-point range.

Pelicans: Stay in Southern California to play the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

Clippers: Host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons (25) drives the ball while under pressure from New Orleans Pelicans forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons (25) drives the ball while under pressure from New Orleans Pelicans forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, center, drives the ball while under pressure from New Orleans Pelicans center Mo Bamba, right, and New Orleans Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, center, drives the ball while under pressure from New Orleans Pelicans center Mo Bamba, right, and New Orleans Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) drives the ball against New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) drives the ball against New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

New Orleans Pelicans center Mo Bamba (4) controls the ball while under pressure from Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

New Orleans Pelicans center Mo Bamba (4) controls the ball while under pressure from Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers guards James Harden, left, and Bogdan Bogdanovic try to gain possession of the ball from New Orleans Pelicans forward Jamal Cain during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers guards James Harden, left, and Bogdan Bogdanovic try to gain possession of the ball from New Orleans Pelicans forward Jamal Cain during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

New Orleans Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic (17) goes up for a rebound over Los Angeles Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

New Orleans Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic (17) goes up for a rebound over Los Angeles Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) looks to pass while under pressure from New Orleans Pelicans forward Kelly Olynyk, right, and New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) looks to pass while under pressure from New Orleans Pelicans forward Kelly Olynyk, right, and New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) shoots while under pressure from New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi, center, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) shoots while under pressure from New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi, center, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) shoots during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) shoots during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots over New Orleans Pelicans forward Bruce Brown, center, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots over New Orleans Pelicans forward Bruce Brown, center, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

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