This is a list of the heads of state of the modern Greek state, from its establishment during the Greek War of Independence to the present day.
First Hellenic Republic (1822–1832)
First Hellenic Republic is a historiographical term used by academics to label the earliest iteration of an independent Greek state. Its formal name in English was the Provisional Administration of Greece; it was established at the beginning of the Greek revolution and later renamed the "Hellenic State". There was no distinction between head of state and head of government.
Provisional Administration of Greece (Presidents of the Executive, 1822–1827) Head of stateTerm of officeTitle PortraitName Took office Left office Time in office 1 Alexandros Mavrokordatos 15 January 1822 26 April 1823 President of the Executive 2 Petros Mavromichalis 26 April 1823 5 January 1824 President of the Executive 3 Georgios Kountouriotis 6 January 1824 17 April 1826 President of the Executive 4 Andreas Zaimis 18 April 1826 26 March 1827 President of the Government Commission — Vice-gubernatorial Committee of 1827 3 April 1827 20 January 1828
Hellenic State (1827–1832) GovernorTerm of officePolitical affiliationThere weren't any formal political parties then. According to Greek historian Grigorios Dafnis : "...it is not possible to talk about parties during the revolutionary period" («Υπό αυτούς τους όρους δεν είναι δυνατό να ομιλούμε περί κομμάτων κατά την περίοδο της επανάστασης και μέχρι της 3ης Σεπτεμβρίου 1843»). «Τα Ελληνικά Πολιτικά Κόμματα 1821–1961» Εκδ. Κάκτος, σελ. 190 PortraitName Took office Left office Time in office 1 Ioannis Kapodistrias 18 January 1828 27 September 1831 o.s. Independent 2 Augustinos Kapodistrias 27 September 1831 28 March 1832 (o.s.) Independent — Administrative Committee of Greece (1832) 28 March 1832 25 January 1833 Independent
Kingdom of Greece (1832–1924)
House of Wittelsbach (1832–1862)
The London Conference of 1832 was an international conference convened to establish a stable government in Greece. Negotiations between the three Great powers (United Kingdom, France and Russia) resulted in the establishment of the Kingdom of Greece under a Bavarian prince. The decisions were ratified in the Treaty of Constantinople later that year.
The convention offered the throne to Prince Otto of Bavaria. They also established the line of succession which would pass the crown to Otto's descendants, or his younger brothers should he have no issue. It was also decided that in no case there would be a personal union of the crowns of Greece and Bavaria. Otto went on to rule Greece until he was exiled in the 23 October 1862 Revolution.
KingReignClaim PortraitName Reign start Reign end Duration 1 Otto 7 May 1832Protocol signed in 22 April 1832 but landed in Greece on 6 February 1833. 23 October 1862 (o.s.) Ascended to the throne following the 1832 London Conference
House of Glücksburg (1863–1924)
In October 1862, King Otto was deposed in a popular revolt, but while the Greek people rejected Otto, they did not seem averse to the concept of monarchy per se. Many Greeks, seeking closer ties to the pre-eminent world power, Great Britain, rallied around the idea that Prince Alfred, the second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, could become the next King. British Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston believed that the Greeks were "panting for increase in territory", hoping that the election of Alfred as King would also result in the incorporation of the Ionian Islands, which were then a British protectorate, into an enlarged Greek state.
The London Conference of 1832, however, had prohibited any of the Great powers' ruling families from accepting the crown of Greece, and in any event, Queen Victoria was adamantly opposed to the idea. Nevertheless, the Greeks insisted on holding a referendum on the issue of the head of state in November 1862. It was the first referendum ever held in Greece.
Prince Alfred turned down the Kingship and Prince William of Denmark, son of Prince Christian of Denmark, was elected by the National Assembly to become King George I of the Hellenes.
KingReignClaim PortraitName Reign start Reign end Duration 2 George I 30 March 1863 18 March 1913 Ascended to the throne following the 19 November 1862 referendum 3 Constantine I 18 March 1913 11 June 1917 Son of George I 4 Alexander 11 June 1917 25 October 1920 Second son of Constantine I — Pavlos Kountouriotis 28 October 1920 17 November 1920 Regent — Queen Olga 17 November 1920 19 December 1920 RegentWidow of George IMother of Constantine I Constantine I 19 December 1920 27 September 1922 Restored to the throne following the 22 November 1920 referendum 5 George II 27 September 1922 25 March 1924 Eldest son of Constantine I
Second Hellenic Republic (1924–1935)
The Second Hellenic Republic was a parliamentary republic which was proclaimed on 25 March 1924 and a referendum was held to abolish the Monarchy. The Second Republic was abolished after the 1935 monarchy referendum. The President of the Republic had a symbolic role as head of the state.
Status
PresidentElectedTerm of officePolitical affiliation PortraitName Took office Left office Time in office 1 Pavlos Kountouriotis 1924 25 March 1924 6 April 1926 Military 2 Theodoros Pangalos—6 April 192618 April 1926Military 1926 18 April 1926 22 August 1926 Pavlos Kountouriotis—22 August 192624 August 1926Military 24 August 1926 10 December 1929 3Alexandros Zaimis—10 December 192914 December 1929Independent 19291933 14 December 1929 10 October 1935
Kingdom of Greece (1935–1973)
House of Glücksburg (1935–1973)
KingReignClaim PortraitName Reign start Reign end Duration — Georgios Kondylis 10 October 1935 25 November 1935 Regent George II 25 November 1935 31 December 1944 Restored to the throne following the 3 November 1935 referendum — Damaskinos 31 December 1944 27 September 1946 Regent George II 27 September 1946 1 April 1947 Restored to the throne following the 1 September 1946 plebiscite on the monarchy 6 Paul 1 April 1947 6 March 1964 Third son of Constantine IBrother of George II 7 Constantine II 6 March 1964 1 June 1973 Son of Paul — Georgios Zoitakis 13 December 1967 21 March 1972 RegentFor Constantine II — Georgios Papadopoulos 21 March 1972 31 May 1973 RegentFor Constantine II
Republic under the Greek junta (1973–1974)
On 1 June 1973 the junta abolished the monarchy and replaced it with a presidential republic. The abolition of the monarchy was approved by a rigged referendum held on 29 July 1973.
PresidentTerm of officePolitical affiliation PortraitName Took office Left office Time in office 1 Georgios Papadopoulos 1 June 1973 25 November 1973 Military 2 Phaedon Gizikis 25 November 1973 24 July 1974 Military
Third Hellenic Republic (1974–present)
On 24 July 1974, the junta was overthrown and democracy restored. A second referendum, held on 8 December 1974, confirmed the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the current parliamentary republic, with the President of the Republic in a symbolic role as head of the state.
Status
PresidentElectedTerm of officePolitical affiliation PortraitName Took office Left office Time in office — Phaedon Gizikis — 24 July 1974 18 December 1974 Military 1 Michail Stasinopoulos 1974 18 December 1974 19 July 1975 New Democracy 2 Konstantinos Tsatsos 1975 19 July 1975 10 May 1980 New Democracy 3 Konstantinos Karamanlis 1980 10 May 1980 10 March 1985 New Democracy — Ioannis Alevras — 10 March 1985 30 March 1985 PASOK 4 Christos Sartzetakis 1985 30 March 1985 5 May 1990 Independent Konstantinos Karamanlis 1990 5 May 1990 10 March 1995 New Democracy 5 Konstantinos Stephanopoulos 19952000 10 March 1995 12 March 2005 Independent 6 Karolos Papoulias 20052010 12 March 2005 13 March 2015 PASOK 7 Prokopis Pavlopoulos 2014–15 13 March 2015 13 March 2020 years New Democracy 8 Katerina Sakellaropoulou 2020 13 March 2020 13 March 2025 years Independent 9 Konstantinos Tasoulas 2025 13 March 2025 Incumbent New Democracy
Timeline
Head of state titles State Years Title First Hellenic Republic 1827–1832 Governor Kingdom of Greece 1832–1862 King of Greece Kingdom of Greece 1863–1924 King of the Hellenes Second Hellenic Republic 1924 Governor 1924–1935 President of the Republic Kingdom of Greece 1935–1973 King of the Hellenes Hellenic Republic 1973–1974 President of the Republic Third Hellenic Republic 1974–present
See also Politics of Greece List of kings of Greece List of regents of Greece List of prime ministers of Greece List of cabinets of Greece
References
External links List of Greek heads of state and government