{{Short description|Greek politician and economist (1944–2024)}} {{Resume-like|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Vasso Papandreou | image = Vasso Papandréou 1990 (cropped).jpg | caption = Papandréou in 1990 | birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1944|12|9}} | death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2024|10|17|1944|12|9}} | birth_place = [[Valimitika]], [[Kingdom of Greece]] | death_place = [[Chalandri]], Athens, Greece | resting_place = Valimitika Cemetery | office4 = [[European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights|European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities]] | term_start4 = 1989 | term_end4 = 1992 | president4 = [[Jacques Delors]] | predecessor4 = [[Peter Sutherland]] | successor4 = [[Pádraig Flynn]] | office1 = [[Ministry of the Environment, Urban Planning and Public Works|Minister of the Environment, Spatial Planning and Public Works]] | term_start1 = 24 October 2001 | term_end1 = 10 March 2004 | prime_minister1 = [[Costas Simitis]] | predecessor1 = Kostas Laliotis | successor1 = [[Georgios Souflias]] | office2 = [[Ministry of the Interior (Greece)#Interior, public administration and decentralization (1995–2007)|Minister of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization]] | term_start2 = 19 February 1999 | term_end2 = 20 March 2000 | prime_minister2 = Costas Simitis | predecessor2 = [[Alekos Papadopoulos]] | successor2 = Georgios Koumantos | office3 = [[Ministry of Development (Greece)#Development (1996–2006)|Minister of Development]] | term_start3 = 1 February 1996 | term_end3 = 19 February 1999 | prime_minister3 = Costas Simitis | predecessor3 = ''Ministry created'' | successor3 = [[Evangelos Venizelos]] | party = [[PASOK]] | parliament5 = Hellenic | constituency_MP5 = [[Athens B]] | term_start5 = 10 October 1993 | term_end5 = 11 April 2012 | parliament6 = Hellenic | constituency_MP6 = [[Closed list|National list]] | term_start6 = 2 June 1985 | term_end6 = 14 January 1989 }}
'''Vasso Papandreou''' ({{langx|el|Βάσω Παπανδρέου}}; 9 December 1944 – 17 October 2024<ref>[https://www.thenationalherald.com/historic-greek-politician-vasso-papandreou-dies-aged-80/ Historic Greek Politician Vasso Papandreou Dies, Aged 80]</ref>) was a Greek politician. After being in exile during the rule of the [[Greek junta]], she returned to Greece in 1974 and was a founding member of [[PASOK]]. In 1981, she was awarded a [[PhD]] in economics from the [[University of Reading]].
She was a member of PASOK's Central Committee until 1988, and served as Deputy Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology from 1986 to 1987 and as Deputy Minister of Commerce in 1988.
In 1989, she was appointed Greece's [[European Commission]]er, taking the post of [[European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs & Equal Opportunities|Commissioner for Employment, industrial relations and social affairs]] in the second [[Delors Commission]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024-10-17 |title=Βάσω Παπανδρέου: Πέθανε η πρώην υπουργός του ΠΑΣΟΚ |url=https://www.protothema.gr/greece/article/1552251/vaso-papandreou-pethane-i-proin-upourgos-tou-pasok/ |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=ProtoThema |language=el}}</ref> After her term on the commission, she returned to Greek domestic politics and was elected to the [[Hellenic Parliament]] in the [[1993 Greek legislative election|1993]], [[1996 Greek legislative election|1996]], [[2000 Greek legislative election|2000 elections]], 2004, 2007 and 2009 elections. She served in all [[Costas Simitis]] government (1996–2004) as Minister of Economic Development (1996–1999), Minister of Interior (1999–2001) and Minister for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works from 2001 to 2004.
She is unrelated to the [[Andreas Papandreou|Papandreou]] [[List of political families in Greece|political family]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Georges Prevelakis |author-link=:fr:Georges Prévélakis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WDoZnj9KGVIC&dq=Vasso+Papandréou&pg=PA77 |title=Géopolitique de la Grèce |publisher={{ill|Complexe|fr|Éditions Complexe}} |orig-date=1997 |year=2006 |page=77|isbn=9782804800734 }}</ref>
== Early life == Vasso Papandreou was born in [[Valimitika|Valimitika, Aigio]], on 9 December 1944. She studied economics at the [[Athens University of Economics and Business]] (then ASOEE), and continued her studies in the United Kingdom, where she obtained a master's degree from the [[University of London]] and a PhD from the [[University of Reading]]. She later taught at [[University of Oxford|Oxford University]].
==Political career== She served as President of [https://web.archive.org/web/20100808011212/http://www.eommex.gr/ EOMMEX] (1981–1985), Deputy Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology (1985–1986), Deputy Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology (1986–1987), Deputy Minister of Commerce responsible for Greek Presidency issues in the European Community (1988–1989), European Commissioner for Employment, Labour Relations and Social Affairs, Human Resources, Education and Training, and Gender Equality (1989–1993), Minister of Development (1996–1999), Minister of Interior, Public Administration, and Decentralization (1999–2001), and Minister for the Environment, Spatial Planning, and Public Works (2001–2004) in [[PASOK]] governments.
In the 1993 elections, she received 256,831 preference votes <ref>[https://www.tovima.gr/2008/11/24/politics/oi-prwtathlites-tis-stayromaxias/ Οι πρωταθλητές της «σταυρομαχίας»]</ref> in the [[Athens B]] electoral district, a number that has not been surpassed by anyone to date.
Throughout her career, she promoted new educational opportunities, protected workers' rights, supported motherhood, and championed gender equality. She paid particular attention to retirees and individuals with special needs. She advanced the European Social Charter and secured Social Dialogue across Europe. Her impact reached international recognition, with the press referring to her as the "[[Caryatid]] of Democracy"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Τζαγκαράκη |first=Μαργαρίτα |date=2024-10-17 |title=Βάσω Παπανδρέου: Η «Καρυάτιδα της Δημοκρατίας» που τα «έβαλε» με τον Ανδρέα Παπανδρέου και τη Μάργκαρετ Θάτσερ |url=https://www.newsit.gr/politikh/vaso-papandreou-i-karyatida-tis-dimokratias-pou-ta-evale-me-ton-andrea-papandreou-kai-ti-margkaret-thatser/4209650/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250122181050/https://www.newsit.gr/politikh/vaso-papandreou-i-karyatida-tis-dimokratias-pou-ta-evale-me-ton-andrea-papandreou-kai-ti-margkaret-thatser/4209650/ |archive-date=2025-01-22 |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=NewsIT |language=el}}</ref> and the "Iron Lady".<ref>[https://en.protothema.gr/2024/10/19/vasso-papandreou-pasok-bids-farewell-in-aigio-see-photos/ Vasso Papandreou: PASOK bids farewell in Aigio – See photos]</ref> Through her initiative, the legal framework was established to ensure 33% female participation in the candidate lists for the 2002 regional and municipal elections.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}
Significant moments in her political career:
* 1974: Founding member of [[PASOK]] and member of its Central Committee.<ref name=":0"/> * 1981–1985: President of EOMMEX. * 1982–1985: Member of the Board of Directors of Commercial Bank of Greece. * 1984–1988: Member of the Executive Bureau of PASOK's Central Committee. * 1985–1986: Deputy Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology. * 1985–1989 and 1993–2012: PASOK MP. * 1986–1987: Deputy Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology. * 1988–1989: Deputy Minister of Commerce (responsible for Greek Presidency in the European Community). * 1989–1993: Member of the [[European Commission]] (first female Commissioner) responsible for Employment, Labour Relations, Social Affairs, Human Resources, Education and Training, and Gender Equality.<ref name=":0"/> * 1993–1996: Head of the Greek Parliamentary Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Western European Union. * 1993–1996: Head of the Greek Parliamentary Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. * 1995–1996: Vice-president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. * 1995–1996: Vice-president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Western European Union. * 1996–1999: Minister of Development (Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology for the first month of 1996). * 1996–2004: Member of PASOK's Executive Bureau. * 1999–2001: Minister of Interior, Public Administration, and Decentralization. * 2001–2004: Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning, and Public Works. * 2004–2007: Member of the Bureau of the Party of European Socialists. * 2005–2007: Member of PASOK's Political Council. Responsible for the Economy sector. * 2008–2009: Responsible for PASOK's Defense sector. * 2009–2012: Chairwoman of the Economic Affairs Committee of the Greek Parliament.
== Personal life and death ==
Papandreou never married and had no children. In the 1970s, she had an affair with [[Andreas Papandreou]].<ref>[https://www.thetoc.gr/politiki/best-of-internet/o-thuellodis-erotas-tou-andrea-papandreou-me-tin-baso--i-exoria-tis-sto-londino-gia-na-apofeuxthei-to-skandalo/ Andreas Papandreou's stormy love affair with Vaso - Her exile to London to avoid the scandal] (el)</ref> Despite their separation, they had good relations until their rupture in 1995, when she challenged him politically given his fragile health.<ref name="ap"/> In November of the same year, Andreas Papandreou fell seriously ill and was hospitalized for months, where he resigned as prime minister and a few months after his discharge, in June 1996, he died.
Vasso Papandreou died at her residence in [[Chalandri]] on 17 October 2024, at the age of 80.<ref>{{cite news |title=Historic Greek Politician Vasso Papandreou Dies, Aged 80 |url=https://www.thenationalherald.com/historic-greek-politician-vasso-papandreou-dies-aged-80/ |access-date=17 October 2024 |work=The National Herald |date=17 October 2024}}</ref> Her funeral was held on October 19, at the cemetery of her birthplace, in the presence of many politicians mainly from PASOK.<ref name="ap">{{Cite web |date=2024-10-19 |title=Vasso Papandreou, champion of women in Greek politics, dies at 79 |url=https://apnews.com/article/greece-vasso-papandreou-politics-minister-women-3e0283811d247d4fcb3f687b1a48061d |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=Associated Press |language=en}}</ref>
==References == {{Reflist}}
{{European Commissioners from Greece}} {{Interior Ministers of Greece}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Papandreou, Vasso}} [[Category:1944 births]] [[Category:2024 deaths]] [[Category:Greek European commissioners]] [[Category:European commissioners (1989–1992)]] [[Category:Ministers of the interior of Greece]] [[Category:Environment ministers of Greece]] [[Category:PASOK politicians]] [[Category:Greek MPs 1985–1989]] [[Category:Greek MPs 1993–1996]] [[Category:Greek MPs 1996–2000]] [[Category:Greek MPs 2000–2004]] [[Category:Greek MPs 2004–2007]] [[Category:Greek MPs 2007–2009]] [[Category:Greek MPs 2009–2012]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Reading]] [[Category:People from Aigio]] [[Category:Women government ministers of Greece]] [[Category:Women members of the Hellenic Parliament]] [[Category:Women European commissioners]]