THeodoros Pagalos

He was born in Eleusis on August 17, 1938. He studied law at the University of Athens and Economics (Doctor of Economic Sciences) at the University of Paris I (Pantheon-Sorbonne) with a scholarship from the French Government. Actively involved in the student movement and a founding member of the Lambrakis Youth, he played an active role in the anti-dictatorship struggle, which led to the revocation of his Greek citizenship by the junta in 1968. From 1969 to 1978, he worked at the Sorbonne as an Associate Lecturer and Researcher in economic development, planning, and spatial planning. He also served as the Director of the Institute of Economic Development at the same university. In 1981, he was elected as a Member of Parliament with PASOK for the first time, a position he has held continuously to this day. He served as Deputy Minister of Commerce (1982), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Community Affairs (1984), and Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs (1985-1989). From 1989 to 1993, he was appointed as the Representative of the Greek Parliament to the Council of Europe. In October 1993, he was sworn in again as Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs. In July 1994, he took over as Minister of Transport and Communications. In January 1996, he was sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs, serving until February 1999. In April 2000, he was sworn in as Minister of Culture, holding the position until November 2000. He served as Head of the Greek Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Western European Union and the Council of Europe. In June 2003, he was appointed as PASOK's representative to the Foreign Policy Council. In November 2004, he was appointed Coordinator of PASOK's election campaign. He was re-elected as a member of PASOK's Political Council and was appointed responsible for the Development, Competitiveness, and Consumer Policy Sector. He then took on the responsibility of the Local Government, Public Administration, and Justice Sector, and currently heads the crucial Foreign Policy, Security, and Defense Sector. In September 2006, he became the General Rapporteur for PASOK in the Constitutional Revision processes. From 2004 until the 2009 elections, he represented the Hellenic Parliament in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Western European Union and the Council of Europe. Between October 2009 and May 2012, he was Vice President of the Government. He is the author of numerous articles and various books, including "Globalization and the Left" (2001), "Ephemeral Prophets, the Deadlocks of Neoliberalism and Social Movements in the Age of Globalization" (2005), "Europe at a Crossroads" (2005), "Intervention in Current Affairs" (1994), and "Greece in the European Community" (1988). He is married to Christina Christofaki and is the father of five children. His website is www.pangalos.gr.