The former minister and historical member of PASOK, Vasso Papandreou, passed away at the age of 80, who had been facing health problems lately.
HDN Newsroom
A historical member of PASOK, Vasso Papandreou served as a minister in the governments of Andreas Papandreou and Costas Simitis.
Vasso Papandreou was a prominent economist and Greece's first female commissioner in the European Union.
She had been a member of PASOK since 1974 and in her house there was the famous dinner of the four, in which, apart from her, participated Theodoros Pangalos, Paraskevas Avgerinos and Kostas Simitis. At the dinner it was decided to support Costas Simitis for the succession of Andreas Papandreou.
Vasso Papandreou was born in Valimitika, Aigio on December 9, 1944. He studied Economics at the then Athens University of Economics and Business and continued in England where he received a master's degree from the University of London and a PhD from the University of Reading, and then taught at Oxford.
Vasso Papandreou has served as:
- President of the Hellenic Organisation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Handicrafts (EOMMEX, 1981-1985)
- State Secretary for Industry, Energy and Technology (1985-1986)
- Deputy Minister for Industry, Energy and Technology (1986-1987)
- Deputy Minister of Commerce for the Greek Presidency of the Community (1988-1989)
- EEC Commissioner for Employment, Industrial Relations and Social Affairs, Human Resources, Education and Training, and Gender equality (1989-1993)
- Minister for Development (1996-1999); Minister for the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralisation (1999-2001)
- Minister for the Environment, Regional Planning and Public Works (2001-2004)
