Sofia Sakorafa

{{Short description|Greek politician and athlete}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Sofia Sakorafa | native_name = Σοφία Σακοράφα | native_name_lang = el | honorific_suffix = | image = Greek part - Citizens’ Corner debate- Migration maze – policing Europe’s borders, whose job is it? (27093803063).jpg | caption = Sakorafa, 2016 | office = Deputy Speaker of the [[Hellenic Parliament]] | 1blankname = [[Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament|Speaker]] | 1namedata = [[Konstantinos Tasoulas]] | alongside = [[Nikitas Kaklamanis]], Haralambos Athanasiou, [[Athanasios Bouras]], Dimitris Vitsas, Odysseas Konstantinopoulos, Giorgos Lambroulis, and Apostolos Avdelas | term_start = 18 July 2019 | term_end = 21 May 2023 | predecessor = | successor = | office2 = Member of the [[Hellenic Parliament]] | constituency2 = Athens B3 | term_start2 = 8 July 2019 | term_end2 = 21 May 2023 | predecessor2 = | successor2 = | constituency3 = [[Athens B]] | term_start3 = 17 June 2012 | term_end3 = 5 May 2014 | predecessor3 = | successor3 = [[Fotini Kouvela]] | office4 = [[Member of the European Parliament]] | constituency4 = [[Greece (European Parliament constituency)|Greece]] | term_start4 = 1 July 2014 | term_end4 = 2 July 2019 | predecessor4 = | successor4 = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|04|29|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Trikala]], [[Thessaly]], [[Kingdom of Greece]] | citizenship = {{hlist|[[Greek people|Greek]]|[[Palestinian people|Palestinian]]}} | party = {{plainlist| * [[PASOK]] (2000–2010) * [[Syriza]] (2012–2015) * [[Independent politician|Independent]] (2015–2018) * [[MeRA25]] (2018–2023) }} | other_party = | spouse = | partner = | relations = | children = | parents = | education = | alma_mater = [[Aristotle University of Thessaloniki]] | occupation = Politician | profession = | known_for = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | awards = | module = {{Infobox sportsperson |embed = yes |  | country = Greece | sport = Women's [[Javelin throw|Javelin]] |  | regionals = | highestranking = | pb = |  | show-medals = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's [[Sport of athletics|athletics]]}} {{MedalCountry | {{GRE}} }} {{MedalCompetition|[[European Championships in Athletics|European Championships]]}} {{MedalBronze|[[1982 European Championships in Athletics|1982 Athens]]|[[1982 European Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw|Javelin]]}} {{MedalCompetition|[[Mediterranean Games]]}} {{MedalGold|[[1979 Mediterranean Games|1979 Split]]|Javelin}} {{MedalBronze|[[1987 Mediterranean Games|1987 Latakia]]|Javelin}} }} }}

'''Sofia Sakorafa''' ({{langx|el|Σοφία Σακοράφα}}, born 29 April 1957 in [[Trikala]], Greece) is a Greek-Palestinian politician and former [[javelin throw]]er. She was a [[Member of the European Parliament]] for [[Greece (European Parliament constituency)|Greece]] as member of the political party [[MeRA25]], having formerly sat for [[Syriza]] and before that served, from June 2012 to July 2014, as a Syriza Member of the [[Hellenic Parliament]]. She served as a deputy speaker in the [[Hellenic Parliament]] for the [[MeRA25]] party.<ref name=deputy>{{cite web|title=Conservador Tasulas, nuevo presidente del Parlamento griego|url=https://m.dw.com/es/conservador-tasulas-nuevo-presidente-del-parlamento-griego/a-49629514|website=m.dw.com|accessdate=18 July 2019}}</ref> She is the president of [[Association hellénique d'athlétisme amateur]] (SEGAS).

== Education ==

Sakorafa graduated in physical education from the [[Aristotle University of Thessaloniki]].<ref name=sycv>{{cite web|title=Sofia SAKORAFA|url=http://www.syriza.eu/index.php/en/eyrwboyleytes/sofia-sakorafa|website=Syriza|access-date=24 November 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125113155/http://www.syriza.eu/index.php/en/eyrwboyleytes/sofia-sakorafa|archive-date=25 November 2015}}</ref>

== Athletics ==

She started competing in athletics as a member of Trikala Gymnastic Club. She competed in the 1976 and [[1980 Summer Olympics]].{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

She won the bronze medal at the [[1982 European Athletics Championships|1982 European Championships]] in [[Athens]].{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} In 1983, after winning the Balkan Games, she had achieved the third performance of the year with a throw of [[1983 in the sport of athletics|72.28 m]], but eventually had to withdraw from the World Championships in Helsinki, due to injury.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

She was named the [[Greek Female Athlete of the Year]] for 1981 and co-Athlete of the Year with javelin thrower [[Anna Verouli]] for 1982.

===Competition record=== {| {{AchievementTable}} |- !colspan="5"|Representing{{GRE}} |- |1976 |[[1976 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] |[[Montreal]], Canada | - |[[Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|NM]] |- |1978 |[[1978 European Athletics Championships|European Championships]] |[[Prague]], Czechoslovakia |13th (q) |[[1978 European Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw|56.76 m]] |- |1979 |[[1979 Mediterranean Games|Mediterranean Games]] |[[Split, Croatia|Split]], Yugoslavia |bgcolor="gold" | 1st |[[1978 European Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw|57.96 m]] GR |- |1980 |[[Athletics at the 1980 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] |[[Moscow]], Soviet Union | - |[[Athletics at the 1980 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|NM]] |- |rowspan=2|1982 |Balkan Games |[[Bucharest]], Romania |bgcolor="gold" | 1st |[[List of Balkan Athletics Championships winners (women)|62.08 m]] |- |[[1982 European Athletics Championships|European Championships]] |[[Athens]], Greece |bgcolor="CC9966" | 3rd |[[1982 European Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw|67.04 m]] |- |rowspan=2|1983 |Balkan Games |[[İzmir]], Turkey |bgcolor="gold" | 1st |71.28 m CR |- |[[1983 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]] |[[Helsinki]], Finland | - |[[1983 World Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw|DNS]] |- |1986 |Balkan Games |[[Ljubljana]], Yugoslavia |bgcolor="gold" | 1st |61.00 m |- |1987 |[[1987 Mediterranean Games|Mediterranean Games]] |[[Latakia]], Syria |bgcolor="CC9966" | 3rd |[[Athletics at the 1987 Mediterranean Games – Results|57.16 m]] |- !colspan="5"|Representing{{PSE}} |- |2004 |Venizelia |[[Chania]], Greece |4th |47.23 m [[Masters W45 javelin world record progression|MW45WR]] |- !colspan=6|''' (q) Indicates overall position in qualifying round''' |}

=== 2004 Olympics ===

Sakorafa stirred controversy in 2004 when she became a [[Palestinian territories|Palestinian]] citizen and applied a few months before the Olympic Games for a berth on the [[Palestine at the 2004 Summer Olympics|Palestinian Olympic team]] at the age of 47. She made her debut representing Palestine in Chania, Crete, on 28 June 2004 - her performance was 47.23 metres. Despite the fact that her gesture to participate as a Palestinian was symbolic, the [[IAAF]] ruled her ineligible for the [[2004 Summer Olympics]].<ref>[http://www.allbusiness.com/middle-east/israel/196393-1.html "Olympics: IOC Blocks Greek Javelin Champion's Olympic Comeback for Palestine"], Agence France-Presse, 11 August 2004</ref>

== Professional career ==

Sakorafa worked in as a secondary teacher of physical education before working as a freelance. From 1994 to 1996, she served as an adviser to the sports minister and as Chairman of the Commission for Sport and Woman.<ref name=sycv />

== Political career ==

She has served on the City Councils of Athens, from 1994 to 1998, and [[Maroussi]], from 1998 to 2006. She was elected as a member of the [[Hellenic Parliament]] under the banner of [[Panhellenic Socialist Movement|PASOK]] three times (in the elections of 2000, 2007 and 2009).<ref name=sycv /> She failed to win a seat in parliament following the 2004 elections.

On 6 May 2010 she refused to vote in favour of the austerity measures and the loan agreement between the Greek government and the IMF/EU. As a result, she was expelled from PASOK. She served as an independent member of the parliament until 2012.<ref name=sycv />

She participated in the 2012 legislative elections as a member of [[Syriza]] and was elected in [[Athens B]]. In the [[Shadow Cabinet of Alexis Tsipras]], she had responsibility for the interior.<ref name=sycv /> She resigned from the Hellenic Parliament in May 2014 in order to contest the European Parliament election.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

In the 2014 European Parliament elections, she was elected as a [[Member of European Parliament]] for Greece, representing Syriza. She is a member of the [[European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs|Committee on Foreign Affairs]], the [[European Parliament Committee on Petitions|Committee on Petitions]] and is a substitute for the [[European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy|Committee on Industry, Research and Energy]]. Since 16 October 2014, she has been the chair of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America, having previously been a member. She is therefore also a member of the [[Committees of the European Parliament#Conference of Committee Chairs|Conference of Delegation Chairs]].<ref name=hist>{{cite web|title=Sofia Sakorafa - History of parliamentary service|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/125091/SOFIA_SAKORAFA_history.html|website=European Parliament|accessdate=24 November 2015}}</ref>

On 28 September 2015, Sakorafa left Syriza to sit as an Independent within the [[GUE/NGL]] grouping.<ref name=hist /> She resigned from Syriza over disagreements with the leadership over the introduction of further austerity measures in Greece. She said: "It's clear that I cannot support any government nor any policies that involve measures that harm the people."<ref name=ann>{{cite news|title=SYRIZA MEP Sofia Sakorafa announces independence|url=http://www.ekathimerini.com/201423/article/ekathimerini/news/syriza-mep-sofia-sakorafa-announces-independence|accessdate=24 November 2015|work=Kathimerini|date=11 September 2015}}</ref>

In December 2018 Sofia Sakorafa joined the Greek party [[MeRA25]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.efsyn.gr/politiki/antipoliteysi/176420_sto-mera25-i-sofia-sakorafa|title=Στο ΜέΡΑ25 η Σοφία Σακοράφα}}</ref> On 26 May 2019, she lost reelection as a member of the European Parliament as member of [[MeRA25]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ekloges.ypes.gr/current/e/home/parties/122/|title=ΜέΡΑ25 {{!}} Ευρωεκλογές – Μάιος 2019|website=ekloges.ypes.gr|access-date=2019-05-28}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{MEP}} *http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0199-4190090_ITM{{dead link|date=May 2022|fix-attempted=yes}} *{{World Athletics}} *{{cite web|url=http://www.sakorafa.gr/pages/page.php?pge=19&lng=1|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528180903/http://www.sakorafa.gr/pages/page.php?pge=19&lng=1|archivedate=2012-05-28|title=Βιογραφικό|website=sakorafa.gr|language=el}}

''This article incorporates text from the article [http://wiki.phantis.com/index.php/Sofia_Sakorafa Sofia_Sakorafa] on [http://wiki.phantis.com Phantis.com], which is licensed under the [[GFDL]] ([http://wiki.phantis.com/index.php/Phantis:General_disclaimer]).'' {{s-start}} {{s-sports}} {{succession box|before={{flagicon|BUL|1971}} [[Antoaneta Todorova]]|title=[[Javelin throw#Best year performance|Women's Javelin Best Year Performance]]|years=1982|after={{flagicon|FIN}} [[Tiina Lillak]]}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sakorafa, Sofia}} [[Category:1957 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Wikipedia articles licensed under the GNU Free Document License]] [[Category:Greek sportsperson-politicians]] [[Category:Greek women javelin throwers]] [[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Trikala]] [[Category:Olympic athletes for Greece]] [[Category:People from Trikala]] [[Category:Greek MPs 2007–2009]] [[Category:Greek MPs 2009–2012]] [[Category:Greek MPs 2012 (May)]] [[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]] [[Category:Syriza MEPs]] [[Category:MEPs for Greece 2014–2019]] [[Category:21st-century women MEPs for Greece]] [[Category:Mediterranean Games gold medalists for Greece]] [[Category:Mediterranean Games bronze medalists for Greece]] [[Category:Mediterranean Games medalists in athletics]] [[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1979 Mediterranean Games]] [[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1987 Mediterranean Games]] [[Category:Greek MPs 2019–2023]] [[Category:Naturalized citizens of Palestine]] [[Category:Greek Athletics Championships winners]]