Konstantinos Karamanlis

Greek politician (1907–1998)

This article is about the former Greek president who lived from 1907 to 1998. For his nephew, see Kostas Karamanlis.

Konstantinos Karamanlis

Κωσταντίνος Καραμανλής

Karamanlis in 1978

President of Greece
In office
5 May 1990 – 10 March 1995
Prime Minister|

* Konstantinos Mitsotakis
* Andreas Papandreou

Preceded by| Christos Sartzetakis
Succeeded by| Konstantinos Stephanopoulos
In office
10 May 1980 – 10 March 1985
Prime Minister|

* Georgios Rallis
* Andreas Papandreou

Preceded by| Konstantinos Tsatsos
Succeeded by|

* Ioannis Alevras (Acting)
* Christos Sartzetakis

Prime Minister of Greece
In office
24 July 1974 – 10 May 1980
President|

* Phaedon Gizikis
* Michail Stasinopoulos
* Konstantinos Tsatsos

Deputy| Georgios Mavros
Preceded by| Adamantios Androutsopoulos
Succeeded by| Georgios Rallis
In office
4 November 1961 – 17 June 1963
Monarch| Paul
Preceded by| Konstantinos Dovas
Succeeded by| Panagiotis Pipinelis
In office
17 May 1958 – 20 September 1961
Monarch| Paul
Preceded by| Konstantinos Georgakopoulos
Succeeded by| Konstantinos Dovas
In office
6 October 1955 – 5 March 1958
Monarch| Paul
Preceded by| Alexander Papagos
Succeeded by| Konstantinos Georgakopoulos
Personal details
Born| (1907-03-08)8 March 1907
Küpköy, Salonica Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
Died| 23 April 1998(1998-04-23) (aged 91)
Athens, Greece
Resting place| Konstantinos Karamanlis Foundation Headquarters, Philothei, Athens
Political party| People's Party (1936–1951)
Greek Rally (1951–1955)
National Radical Union (1955–1963)
New Democracy (1974–1998)
Spouse|

Amalia Kanellopoulou

(m. 1951; div. 1972)​

Relations|

* Kostas Karamanlis (nephew)
* Kostas Karamanlis (nephew)

Alma mater| University of Athens
Signature|

Konstantinos G. Karamanlis (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Γ. Καραμανλής,[1] pronounced [konstaˈdinos karamanˈlis]; 8 March 1907 – 23 April 1998) was a Greek statesman who was the four-time Prime Minister of Greece and two-term president of the Third Hellenic Republic. A towering figure of Greek politics, his political career spanned portions of seven decades, covering much of the latter half of the 20th century.[2]

Born near Serres in Macedonia, Karamanlis practiced law until his election to the Hellenic Parliament in 1936 as a member of the conservative People's Party. Rising through the ranks of Greek politics after World War II, Karamanlis became Minister of Labour in 1947, and in 1951 he was named Minister for Public Works in Alexandros Papagos's Greek Rally administration. He was appointed prime minister by King Paul of Greece after Papagos's death in 1955. During his first term, he applied a program of rapid industrialization, heavy investment on infrastructure and improvement on agricultural production, which led to the post-war Greek economic miracle. He also implemented the extension of full voting rights to women, which had stood dormant since 1952. In foreign affairs, he pursued an aggressive policy toward Greek membership in the European Economic Community (EEC), and abandoned the government's previous strategic goal for enosis (the unification of Greece and Cyprus) in favour of Cypriot independence.

In 1963, Karamanlis resigned following a disagreement with King Paul amidst spiralling political crises in Greece. He spent the next eleven years in self-imposed exile in Paris, while the country fell under military dictatorship after the 1967 coup d'état. After the fall of the junta in 1974, Karamanlis was recalled to Athens to assume interim premiership. This period, known as the Metapolitefsi, saw the country's transition to a pluralist democracy. His new party, New Democracy, won a commanding victory in the November 1974 elections, which were followed by a plebiscite that abolished the monarchy and established the Third Hellenic Republic. In 1980, Karamanlis resigned as prime minister and was elected President of the Republic. In 1981, he oversaw Greece's formal entry into the European Economic Community. He resigned from the presidency in 1985 but was again elected in 1990, and served until his retirement from active politics in 1995. Karamanlis died in 1998 at the age of 91.

## Early life

[edit]

Karamanlis was born in the village of Proti, near the city of Serres,[3][4] Macedonia, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire. He became a Greek citizen in 1913, after the region of Macedonia was annexed by Greece in the aftermath of the First and Second Balkan War. His father was Georgios Karamanlis, a teacher who fought during the Greek Struggle for Macedonia, in 1904–1908. After spending his childhood in Macedonia, he went to Athens to attain his degree in law. He practised law in Serres, entered politics with the conservative People's Party, and was elected Member of Parliament for the first time in the 1936 election at the age of 28. Health problems[citation needed] prevented him from participating in the Greco-Italian War.

During the Axis occupation, he spent his time between Athens and Serres, while in July 1944, he left to the Middle East to join the Greek government in exile.

## First premiership

[edit]

After World War II, Karamanlis quickly rose through the ranks of Greek politics. His rise was strongly supported by fellow party-member and close friend Lambros Eftaxias, who served as Minister for Agriculture under the premiership of Konstantinos Tsaldaris. Karamanlis's first cabinet position was Minister for Labour in 1947 under the same administration. In 1951, along with most prominent members of the People's Party, Karamanlis joined the Greek Rally of Alexandros Papagos. When this party won the Greek legislative election on 9 September 1951, Karamanlis became Minister of Public Works in the Papagos administration. He won the admiration of the US Embassy for the efficiency with which he built road infrastructure and administered American aid programs.[5] When Papagos died after a brief illness (October 1955), King Paul of Greece appointed the 48-year-old Karamanlis as prime minister.[5] The King's appointment took the Greek political world by surprise, as it bypassed Stephanos Stephanopoulos and Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, two senior Greek Rally politicians who were widely considered as the heavyweights most likely to succeed Papagos. After becoming prime minister, Karamanlis reorganized the Greek Rally as the National Radical Union. One of the first bills he promoted as prime minister implemented the extension of full voting rights to women, which stood dormant although nominally approved in 1952. Karamanlis won three successive elections (February 1956, May 1958 and October 1961).

In 1959 he announced a five-year plan (1959-64) for the Greek economy, emphasizing improvement of agricultural and industrial production, heavy investment on infrastructure and the promotion of tourism, setting the bases of the post-WWII Greek economic miracle, though implementation was disrupted by the 1967 Coup d'état and the 7 years of dictatorship that followed.

### London-Zürich Agreements

[edit]

Karamanlis with Averoff and Turkish PM Menderes (centre) during conversations in Zurich

On the international front, Karamanlis abandoned the government's previous strategic goal for enosis (the unification of Greece and Cyprus) in favour of independence for Cyprus. In 1958, his government engaged in negotiations with the United Kingdom and Turkey, which culminated in the Zurich Agreement as a basis for a deal on the independence of Cyprus. In February 1959 the plan was ratified in London by the Cypriot leader Makarios III.

### Merten affair

[edit]

Max Merten was Kriegsverwaltungsrat (military administration counselor) of the Nazi German occupation forces in Thessaloniki. He was convicted in Greece and sentenced to a 25-year term as a war criminal in 1959. On 3 November of that year, Merten benefited from an amnesty for war criminals, and was set free and extradited to the Federal Republic of Germany, after political and economic pressure from West Germany (which, at the time, hosted thousands of Greek Gastarbeiter).[6] Merten's arrest also enraged Queen Frederica, a woman with German ties,[7] who wondered whether "this is the way mister district attorney understands the development of German and Greek relations".[8]

In Germany, Merten was eventually acquitted from all charges due to "lack of evidence." On 28 September 1960 German newspapers Hamburger Echo and Der Spiegel published excerpts of Merten's deposition to the German authorities where Merten claimed that Karamanlis, the then Minister for the Interior, Takos Makris and his wife, Doxoula (whom he described as Karamanlis's niece) along with then Deputy Minister of Defense Georgios Themelis were informers in Thessaloniki during the Nazi occupation of Greece. Merten alleged that Karamanlis and Makris were rewarded for their services with a business in Thessaloniki which belonged to a Greek Jew sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. He also alleged that he had pressured Karamanlis and Makris to grant amnesty and release him from prison.

Karamanlis rejected the claims as unsubstantiated and absurd, and accused Merten of attempting to extort money from him prior to making the statements. The West German government (Third Adenauer cabinet) also decried the accusations as calumniatory and libelous. Karamanlis accused the opposition party of instigating a smear campaign against him. Although Karamanlis never pressed charges against Merten, charges were pressed in Greece against Der Spiegel by Takos and Doxoula Makris and Themelis, and the magazine was found guilty of slander in 1963. Merten did not appear to testify during the Greek court proceedings. The Merten Affair remained at the centre of political discussions until early 1961.

Merten's accusations against Karamanlis were never corroborated in a court of law. Historian Giannis Katris, an ardent critic of Karamanlis, argued in 1971 that Karamanlis should have resigned the premiership and pressed charges against Merten as a private individual in German courts, in order to fully clear his name. Nonetheless, Katris rejects the accusations as "unsubstantiated" and "obviously fallacious".[8]

### European vision

[edit]

Konstantinos Karamanlis, his cabinet with Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Kanellopoulos (front left) and German Vice-Chancellor Ludwig Erhard with a German/European delegation during a visit by Erhard to sign the protocols of Greece's Treaty of Association with the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1961. Paul-Henri Spaak is second from the right (front row).

Karamanlis as early as 1958 pursued an aggressive policy toward Greek membership in the EEC. He considered Greece's entry into the EEC a personal dream because he saw it as the fulfillment of what he called "Greece's European Destiny".[9] He personally lobbied European leaders, such as Germany's Konrad Adenauer and France's Charles de Gaulle followed by two years of intense negotiations with Brussels.[10][11] His intense lobbying bore fruit and on 9 July 1961 his government and the Europeans signed the protocols of Greece's Treaty of Association with the European Economic Community (EEC). The signing ceremony in Athens was attended by top government delegations from the six-member bloc of Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxemburg and the Netherlands, a precursor of the European Union. Economy Minister Aristidis Protopapadakis and Foreign Minister Evangelos Averoff were also present.[10] German Vice-Chancellor Ludwig Erhard and Belgian Foreign Minister Paul-Henri Spaak, a European Union pioneer and a Karlspreis winner like Karamanlis, were among the European delegates.[10]

During a visit to the Netherlands, 1963

This had the profound effect of ending Greece's economic isolation and breaking its political and economic dependence on US economic and military aid, mainly through NATO.[10] Greece became the first European country to acquire the status of associate member of the EEC outside the six nation EEC group. In November 1962 the association treaty came into effect and envisaged the country's full membership at the EEC by 1984, after the gradual elimination of all Greek tariffs on EEC imports.[10] A financial protocol clause included in the treaty provided for loans to Greece subsidised by the community of about $300 million between 1962 and 1972 to help increase the competitiveness of the Greek economy in anticipation of Greece's full membership. The Community's financial aid package as well as the protocol of accession were suspended during the 1967–74 junta years and Greece was expelled from the EEC.[10][12] As well, during the dictatorship, Greece resigned its membership in the Council of Europe fearing embarrassing investigations by the Council, following torture allegations.[12]

Soon after returning to Greece during metapolitefsi Karamanlis reactivated his push for the country's full EEC membership in 1975 citing political and economic reasons.[9][10] Karamanlis was convinced that Greece's membership in the EEC would ensure political stability in a nation having just undergone a transition from dictatorship to Democracy.[9]

Karamanlis inspects the plans for the building of the Eugenides Planetarium (1962)

In May 1979 he signed the full treaty of accession. Greece became the tenth member of the EEC on 1 January 1981 three years earlier than the original protocol envisioned and despite the freezing of the treaty of accession during the junta (1967–1974).[10]

## Crises and self-exile

[edit]

In the 1961 elections, the National Radical Union won 50.8 percent of the popular vote and 176 seats.[13] The elections were denounced by both main opposition parties, EDA and the Centre Union, who refused to recognise the result based on numerous cases of voter intimidation and irregularities, such as sudden massive increases in support for ERE against historical patterns, or the voting by deceased persons. The Centre Union alleged that the election result had been staged by the shadowy "para-state" (παρακράτος) agents, including the army leadership, the Greek Central Intelligence Service, and the notoriously right-wing National Guard Defence Battalions, according to a prepared emergency plan code-named Pericles. Although irregularities certainly occurred, the existence of Pericles was never proven, nor is it certain that the interference in the elections radically influenced the outcome. Nevertheless, Centre Union leader George Papandreou initiated an "unrelenting struggle" ("ανένδοτος αγών") until new and fair elections were held.[14]

### Lambrakis assassination

[edit]

Karamanlis's position was further undermined, and Papandreou's claims of an independently acting "para-state" given more credence, following the assassination of Grigoris Lambrakis, a leftist member of Parliament, by right-wing extremists during a pro-peace demonstration in Thessaloniki in May 1963, who were later revealed to have close links to the local gendarmerie.[15] Karamanlis was shocked by the assassination, was heavily criticized by the opposition of Georgios Papandreou, and he stated:

> Who governs this country?

The final straw for Karamanlis's government was his clash with the Palace in summer 1963, over the projected visit of the royal pair to Britain. Karamanlis opposed the trip, as he feared that it would provide the occasion for demonstrations against the political prisoners still held in Greece since the Civil War. Karamanlis's relations with the Palace had been declining for some time, particularly with Queen Frederika and the Crown Prince, but the Prime Minister also clashed with King Paul over the latter's opposition to proposed constitutional amendments that would empower the government, the extravagant lifestyle of the royal family, and the near-monopoly that the King claimed over control of the armed forces. When the King rejected his advice to postpone the trip to London, Karamanlis resigned and left the country.[16] In his absence, ERE was led by a committee composed of Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, Konstantinos Rodopoulos and Panagis Papaligouras.[17]

In the 1963 election, the National Radical Union, under his leadership, was defeated by the Centre Union under George Papandreou. Disappointed with the result, Karamanlis fled Greece under the name Triantafyllides. He spent the next 11 years in self-imposed exile in Paris, France. Karamanlis was succeeded by Panagiotis Kanellopoulos as the ERE leader.

In 1966, Constantine II of Greece sent his envoy Demetrios Bitsios to Paris on a mission to convince Karamanlis to return to Greece and resume a role in Greek politics. According to uncorroborated claims that were made by the former monarch only after both men had died, in 2006, Karamanlis replied to Bitsios that he would return under the condition that the King were to impose martial law, as was his constitutional prerogative.[18]

U.S. journalist Cyrus L. Sulzberger has separately claimed that Karamanlis flew to New York to visit Lauris Norstad and lobby US support for a coup d'état in Greece that would establish a strong conservative regime under himself; Sulzberger alleges that Norstad declined to involve himself in such affairs.[19]

Sulzberger's account, which unlike that of the former King was delivered during the lifetime of those implicated (Karamanlis and Norstad), rested solely on the authority of his and Norstad's word.

When in 1997, the former King reiterated Sulzberger's allegations, Karamanlis stated that he "will not deal with the former king's statements because both their content and attitude are unworthy of comment."[20] The deposed King's adoption of Sulzberger's claims against Karamanlis was castigated by left-leaning media, typically critical of Karamanlis, as "shameless" and "brazen".[21] It bears noting that, at the time, the former King referred exclusively to Sulzberger's account, to support the theory of a planned coup by Karamanlis, and made no mention of the alleged 1966 meeting with Bitsios, which he would refer to only after both participants had died and could not respond.

On 21 April 1967, constitutional order was usurped by a coup d'état led by officers around Colonel George Papadopoulos. The King accepted to swear in the military-appointed government as the legitimate government of Greece, but launched an abortive counter-coup to overthrow the junta eight months later. Constantine and his family then fled the country.

## Stasi smear campaign

[edit]

In 2001, former agents of the Eastern German secret police, the Stasi, claimed to Greek investigative reporters that during the Cold War, they had orchestrated an operation of evidence falsification,[22][23] to present Karamanlis as having planned a coup and thus damage his reputation in an apparent disinformation propaganda campaign.[24] The operation allegedly centered on a falsified conversation between Karamanlis and Strauss, a Bavarian officer of the King.

## Second premiership

[edit]

Karamanlis with Dries van Agt in 1978

### Metapolitefsi (restoration of democracy)

[edit]

Main article: Metapolitefsi

In 1974, the invasion of Cyprus by the Turks led to the collapse of the military junta. On 23 July 1974, President Phaedon Gizikis called a meeting of old guard politicians, including Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, Spiros Markezinis, Stephanos Stephanopoulos, Evangelos Averoff and others. The heads of the armed forces also participated in the meeting. The agenda was to appoint a national unity government that would lead the country to elections.[25]

Former prime minister Panagiotis Kanellopoulos was originally suggested as the head of the new interim government. He was the interim prime minister originally deposed by the dictatorship in 1967 and a distinguished politician who had repeatedly criticized Papadopoulos and his successor. Raging battles were still taking place in Cyprus' north when Greeks took to the streets in all the major cities, celebrating the junta's decision to relinquish power before the war in Cyprus could spill all over the Aegean.[25] But talks in Athens were going nowhere with Gizikis' offer to Panagiotis Kanellopoulos to form a government.[25]

Nonetheless, after all the other politicians departed without reaching a decision, Evangelos Averoff remained in the meeting room and further engaged Gizikis. He insisted that Karamanlis was the only political personality who could lead a successful transition government, taking into consideration the new circumstances and dangers both inside and outside the country. Gizikis and the heads of the armed forces initially expressed reservations, but they finally became convinced by Averoff's arguments.[25] Admiral Arapakis was the first, among the participating military leaders, to express his support for Karamanlis.

After Averoff's decisive intervention, Gizikis decided to invite Karamanlis to assume the premiership. Throughout his stay in France, Karamanlis was a vocal opponent of the Regime of the Colonels, the military junta that seized power in Greece in April 1967. He was now called to end his self-imposed exile and restore democracy to the place where it was originally invented.[25] Upon news of his impending arrival cheering Athenian crowds took to the streets chanting: Έρχεται! Έρχεται! He is coming! He is coming![25] Similar celebrations broke out all over Greece. Athenians in their thousands also went to the airport to greet him.[26] Karamanlis was sworn in as prime minister under President pro tempore Phaedon Gizikis who remained in power in the interim, till December 1974, for legal continuity reasons until a new constitution could be enacted during metapolitefsi and was subsequently replaced by duly elected President Michail Stasinopoulos.

During the inherently unstable first weeks of the metapolitefsi, Karamanlis was forced to sleep aboard a yacht watched over by a destroyer for fear of a new coup. Karamanlis attempted to defuse the tension between Greece and Turkey, which were on the brink of war over the Cyprus crisis, through the diplomatic route. Two successive conferences in Geneva, where the Greek government was represented by George Mavros, failed to avert a full-scale invasion by Turkey on 14 August 1974 or the subsequent Turkish occupation of 37 percent of Cyprus. As a protest, Karamanlis led the country outside of the military branch of NATO and remained out until 1980.

The steadfast process of transition from military rule to a pluralist democracy proved successful. During this transition period of the metapolitefsi, Karamanlis legalized the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) that was banned since the civil war. The legalization of the communist party was considered by many as a gesture of political inclusionism and rapprochement. At the same time he also freed all political prisoners and pardoned all political crimes against the junta.[27] Following through with his reconciliation theme he also adopted a measured approach to removing collaborators and appointees of the dictatorship from the positions they held in government bureaucracy, and declared that free elections would be held in November 1974, four months after the collapse of the Regime of the Colonels.

### Greek republic referendum

[edit]

Influenced by Gaullist principles, Karamanlis founded the conservative party of New Democracy and in the 1974 elections achieved a record 54.4% victory (the greatest electoral victory in modern Greek history), obtained a massive parliamentary majority and he was elected prime minister.

The elections were soon followed by the 1974 plebiscite on the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a Hellenic Republic, the televised 1975 trials (Greek Junta Trials) of the former dictators (who received death sentences for high treason and mutiny that were later commuted to life incarceration) and the writing of the new Constitution.

In 1977, New Democracy again won the elections, and Karamanlis continued to serve as prime minister until 1980. The external policy of his governments, for the first time since the war, favoured a multi-polar approach between US, Soviet Union and the Third World; a policy continued also by his successor Andreas Papandreou.

Under Karamanlis's premiership, his government also undertook numerous nationalizations in several sectors, including banking and transportation. Karamanlis's policies of economic statism, which fostered a large state-run sector, have been described by many as socialmania.[28]

## First and second Presidency

[edit]

### Accession of Greece to the European Communities

[edit]

Signing at Zappeion of the documents for the accession of Greece to the European Communities in 1979. Old Karamanlis in Panteion University

Following his signing of the Accession Treaty with the European Economic Community (now the European Union) in 1979, Karamanlis relinquished the Premiership and was elected President of the Republic in 1980 by the Parliament,[29] and in 1981 he oversaw Greece's formal entry into the European Economic Community as its tenth member. He served until 1985, then resigned and was succeeded by Christos Sartzetakis by the dubious processes of Andreas Papandreou, which caused a constitutional crisis. His phrase became famous during the 1989 political crisis to characterize the state of affairs at the end of the second term of Papandreou: "Hellas has been transformed to an endless bedlam."

In 1990, he was re-elected President by a conservative parliamentary majority (under the conservative government of then Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis) and served until 1995, when he was succeeded by Kostis Stephanopoulos.

## Later life

[edit]

Karamanlis retired in 1995, at the age of 88, having won 5 parliamentary elections, and having spent 14 years as prime minister, 10 years as President of the Republic, and a total of more than sixty years in active politics. For his long service to democracy and as a pioneer of European integration from the earliest stages of the European Union, Karamanlis was awarded one of the most prestigious European prizes, the Karlspreis, in 1978. He bequeathed his archives to the Konstantinos Karamanlis Foundation,[30] a conservative think tank he had founded and endowed.

Karamanlis died after a short illness in 1998, at the age of 91.

Karamanlis married Amalia Megapanou Kanellopoulou (1929–2020) in 1951, the niece of Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, a prominent politician. They divorced in 1972 in Paris, without ever having children. Karamanlis remained childless all his life.

## Legacy

[edit]

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Karamanlis has been praised for presiding over an early period of fast economic growth for Greece (1955–63) and for being the primary engineer of Greece's successful bid for membership in the European Union.

His supporters lauded him as the charismatic Ethnarches (National Leader).[31] Some of his left-wing opponents have accused him of condoning rightist "para-statal" groups, whose members undertook Via kai Notheia (Violence and Corruption), i.e., fraud during the electoral contests between ERE and Papandreou's Center Union party, and were responsible for the assassination of Gregoris Lambrakis. Some of Karamanlis's conservative opponents have criticized his socialist economic policies during the 1970s, which included the nationalization of Olympic Airways and Emporiki Bank and the creation of a large public sector. Karamanlis has also been criticized by Ange S. Vlachos for indecisiveness in his management of the Cyprus crisis in 1974[32] even though it is widely acknowledged that he skillfully avoided an all-out war with Turkey during that time.

Karamanlis is recognised for his successful restoration of Democracy during metapolitefsi and the repair of the two great national schisms by legalising the communist party and by establishing the system of parliamentary democracy in Greece.[33][34][35] His successful prosecution of the junta during the junta trials and the heavy sentences imposed on the junta principals also sent a message to the army that the era of immunity from constitutional transgressions by the military was over.[34] Karamanlis's policy of European integration is also acknowledged to have ended the paternalistic relation between Greece and the United States.[34][36]

His nephew Kostas Karamanlis later became the leader of the New Democracy party (Nea Demokratia) and Prime Minister of Greece from 2004 to 2009. Another nephew, also named Kostas Karamanlis, served as Minister of Infrastructure and Transport from 2019 to 2023.

## Controversies

[edit]

Karamanlis has been heavily criticised for his stance on the Cyprus problem since the late 1950s where he forced Makarios III to sign the Zürich and London Agreements, threatening to withdraw Greek political support for the Greek Cypriots if he didn't.[37][38] In the summer of 1974, during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the Metapolitefsi, Karamanlis refused point blank to send help to Cyprus when asked by the acting President of Cyprus Glafcos Clerides infamously stating in the conversation "Η Κύπρος κείται μακράν" ("Cyprus lies far away") for military aid.[39][40] The only military aid Cyprus received from Greece was in the last days of the Junta regime, where Greek commandos from A' Raider Squadron under the codename Operation Niki which also stood to disprove the claim that Cyprus was too far.[41][42] Karamanlis not only refused to prosecute the armed forces chiefs who refused to go to Cyprus' aid when Dimitrios Ioannidis had ordered them too, but also kept them in places of charge in the Armed Forces, dismissing both their role in the Cypriot coup d'état against Makarios, including Bonanos, Phaedon Gizikis and Petros Arapakis among others.[43][44][45]

## Tributes

[edit]

On 29 June 2005 an audio-visual tribute celebrating Konstantinos Karamanlis's contribution to Greek culture took place at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. George Remoundos was the stage director and Stavros Xarhakos conducted and selected the music. The event under the title of Cultural Memories was organised by the Konstantinos G. Karamanlis Foundation.[46] In 2007 several events were held to celebrate 100 years since his birth.

## See also

[edit]

* History of Modern Greece
* List of presidents of Greece
* Politics of Greece

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Karamanlis Foundation".
2. ^ David Wilsford, ed. Political leaders of contemporary Western Europe: a biographical dictionary (Greenwood, 1995) pp 217–223
3. ^ Wilsford, David (1995). Political leaders of contemporary Western Europe: a biographical dictionary. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 217. ISBN 0-313-28623-X. "Karamanlis, the first of eight children, was born on 8 March 1907, in the Macedonian village of Proti, in the northern region of Greece"
4. ^ "Konstantinos Karamanlis". britannica.com. Retrieved 1 February 2010. "Konstantinos Karamanlis Greek statesman also spelled Constantine Caramanlis born 23 February [8 March, New Style], 1907, Próti, near Sérrai, Ottoman Empire [now in Greece] died 23 April 1998, Athens, Greece"
5. ^ a b Laurence Stern, The Wrong Horse, (1977) p. 17.
6. ^ "Kathimerini on the Merten affair". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 12 July 2006.
7. ^ Anagnosis Books: Queen Frederika. An arrogant woman who was a grand-daughter of the Kaiser
8. ^ a b Giannis Katris (1971), "The Birth of Neofascism in Greece", Papazisis Editions, pp 100–106
9. ^ a b c time.com: Greece's Gain Time Magazine Archives Quote: "While it was Rallis who hailed the new membership and its promise, much of the credit belonged to former Prime Minister and now President Constantine Caramanlis. For him, entry into the Community was the fulfillment of a dream, a sealing of what he calls "Greece's European destiny." In his view, being part of the democratic Western European family of nations should help ensure political stability for a country crushed by military dictatorship from 1967 to 1974."
10. ^ a b c d e f g h Athensnews.gr: "Destination Europe". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 7 August 2006.
11. ^ "Karamanlis' personal contacts with the German and French leaders (Konrad Adenauer and De Gaulle), to shift Greek foreign policy towards stronger ties with the nascent (EEC)". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2006.
12. ^ a b Time magazine archives "I Am with You, Democracy Is with You" Quote: "Denied Benefits. When the Council of Europe tried to investigate charges that the regime was torturing prisoners, Athens quit the respected if powerless body rather than risk the inquiry. The Common Market was so repelled by the actions of the junta that it expelled Greece from associate membership in the EEC, thus denying the Greek economy some $300 million annually in agricultural benefits." Monday, 5 August 1974 Retrieved 6 July 2008
13. ^ Clogg 1987, p. 40.
14. ^ Clogg 1987, pp. 42–43.
15. ^ Clogg 1987, p. 43.
16. ^ Clogg 1987, pp. 43–44.
17. ^ Clogg 1987, p. 44.
18. ^ Papachelas, Alexis (29 January 2006). "Μιλάει ο Κωνσταντίνος" [Constantine Speaks]. TO BHMA. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
19. ^ C.L. Sulzberger, Postscript with a Chinese Accent, Macmillan Publishing Co., 1974, p. 277. [ISBN missing]
20. ^ Karamanlis reaction from Ta Nea[permanent dead link]
21. ^ Reaction from the Left: Ta Nea[permanent dead link]
22. ^ Mega channel television, Gkrizes Zones, 2001"
23. ^ "Greek press on Stasi falsifications". Archived from the original on 7 November 2007. Retrieved 13 July 2006.
24. ^ "Greek press on Stasi campaign". Archived from the original on 6 November 2007. Retrieved 13 July 2006.
25. ^ a b c d e f Athens News on Metapolitefsi Archived 6 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
26. ^ Thousands went to the airport to greet him Archived 6 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
27. ^ Rise and decline of Democracy: online article Archived 8 September 2005 at the Wayback Machine
28. ^ "Economy and Statism". Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
29. ^ "Karamanlis was sworn in as the country's first elected president on 6 May". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2006.
30. ^ Konstantinos G. Karamanlis Foundation website Archived 14 September 2005 at the Wayback Machine
31. ^ "charismatic patriarch at the helm". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2006.
32. ^ Ange S. Vlachos, Graduation 1974, Oceanis 2001.
33. ^ Ελληνοαμερικανικές σχέσεις 1974–1999 Archived 7 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine Tου Θεοδωρου Κουλουμπη Article by Theodoros Kouloumbis from ekathimerini
34. ^ a b c Hellenic Foundation of European and Foreign Policy Quote: "Quote: 'Ο Κωνσταντίνος Καραμανλής, παρά τους δισταγμούς του Χένρι Κίσινγκερ στην Ουάσιγκτον, επέστρεψε από το Παρίσι τα χαράματα της 24ης Ιουλίου του 1974 και ανέλαβε την τεράστια ευθύνη της αυθεντικής εδραίωσης των δημοκρατικών θεσμών στην τόσο ταλαιπωρημένη του χώρα. Η μετάβαση στη δημοκρατία έγινε με τρόπο υποδειγματικό από τον Ελληνα Μακεδόνα ηγέτη. Οι δύο μεγάλοι διχασμοί του 20ού αιώνα γεφυρώθηκαν με τη νομιμοποίηση των κομμουνιστικών κομμάτων και με το δημοψήφισμα για το πολιτειακό που καθιέρωσε το σύστημα της προεδρευόμενης δημοκρατίας. Οι δίκες των πρωταιτίων της χούντας με αυστηρότατες ποινές (ισόβια δεσμά) πέρασαν το μήνυμα στις ένοπλες δυνάμεις ότι η περίοδος της ατιμωρησίας των αντισυνταγματικών παρεμβάσεων του στρατού στην πολιτική είχε περάσει ανεπιστρεπτί. Και χωρίς αμφιβολία, το μεγαλύτερο επίτευγμα του Καραμανλή ήταν η ένταξη της Ελλάδας στην Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα (σήμερα Ευρωπαϊκή Ενωση) την 1η Ιανουαρίου του 1981. Ισως περισσότερο από οποιαδήποτε άλλη εξέλιξη η ένταξη της Ελλάδας στην Ευρώπη άλλαξε τη μορφή και την ποιότητα της ελληνοαμερικανικής δυαδικής σχέσης. Η πατερναλιστική κατατομή προστάτη – προτατευόμενου θα περνούσε έκτοτε μέσα από ένα διαρθρωτικό φίλτρο με το όνομα «Βρυξέλλες».'"
35. ^ Britannica Konstantinos Karamanlis: Greek statesman who was prime minister from 1955 to 1963 and again from 1974 to 1980. He then served as president from 1980 to 1985 and from 1990 to 1995. Karamanlis gave Greece competent government and political stability while his conservative economic policies stimulated economic growth. In 1974–75 he successfully restored democracy and constitutional government in Greece after the rule of a military junta there had collapsed.
36. ^ "Karamanlis' unflinching political orientation towards the unification of Europe". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2006.
37. ^ Moumtzis, Sakis (2021). "Οι συμφωνίες Ζυρίχης-Λονδίνου, τομή στο Kυπριακό | Liberal.gr". www.liberal.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 5 January 2025. "Η Ελλάς από τούδε δεν είναι διατεθειμένη να δώση βοήθειαν είς τον Κυπριακόν αγώνα και εννοώ βεβαίως διπλωματικήν βοήθειαν. Από τούδε, εάν δεν συμφωνήσετε θα βαδίσωμεν κεχωρισμένως και ο Θεός βοηθός." [Greece is no longer willing to provide assistance in the Cypriot struggle, and I mean, of course, diplomatic assistance. From now on, if you do not agree, we will proceed separately, and God help us.]
38. ^ Kyprianou, Spyros (2024). K. Tsalakos, Giorgos (ed.). Στη μάχη της Ιστορίας όπως την έζησα: Α’ τόμος 1932-1959 [The battle of history as I lived it: 1932-1959] (in Greek) (1st ed.). Pataki. ISBN 978-9601-6902-1-6.
39. ^ "Το «Η Κύπρος δεν κείται μακράν» του Ν. Δένδια και το ντροπιαστικό Δόγμα Καραμανλή: «Η Κύπρος Κείται μακράν»". www.eleftheria.gr (in Greek). Archived from the original on 16 September 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
40. ^ "Μόνιμοι παθητικοί θεατές της απραξίας" [Permanent passive spectators of inaction]. Philenews (in Greek). 18 September 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
41. ^ Φασουλάς, Γιάννης; Σκάλκος, Γιάννης (2011). Νίκη στη νεκρή ζώνη [Victory in the Dead Zone] (in Greek). Αγαθός Λόγος. ISBN 978-960-99749-5-0.
42. ^ A. Politis, Giannis (21 July 2024). "Πενήντα χρόνια από την τουρκική εισβολή στην Κύπρο - Επιχείρηση "Νίκη": Η "αποστολή αυτοκτονίας" και τα θανάσιµα λάθη". www.parapolitika.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 27 September 2024.
43. ^ N. Hatzidakis, Manos (2018). Η "προβοκάτσια" της Κοφίνου και η αλήθεια για την ανάκλησι της "Μεραρχίας" [The "provocation" of Kophinou and the truth of the recalling of the "division"] (in Greek) (1st ed.). Athens: Pelasgos. p. 208\. ISBN 978-960-522-550-6.
44. ^ K. Fouskas, Vassilis. "CONSTANTINE KARAMANLIS AND THE CYPRUS CRISIS OF JULY AUGUST 1974: A RE-ASSESSMENT" (PDF). Cyprus Center for European and International Affairs (68): 7. ISSN 2547-8702. "...he also pushed the Ioannides government, especially the head of general staff, Gregorios Bonanos, to topple Makarios; indeed, Karamanlis, upon his return to politics as head of the Greek state from 24 July 1974 onwards, did not replace Bonanos"
45. ^ Venizelou, Kostas (20 April 2024). "Οι «τροχονόμοι» της χούντας που πούλησαν την Κύπρο: Δεν δικάστηκαν ποτέ για την προδοσία κατά της Μεγαλονήσου, ο Καραμανλής δεν ήθελε να εκθέσει τους Δυτικούς συμμάχους". Hellasjournal.com. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
46. ^ "Tribute website". Archived from the original on 8 December 2005. Retrieved 24 March 2007.

## Sources

[edit]

* Clogg, Richard (1987). Parties and Elections in Greece: The Search for Legitimacy. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0822307945.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Clogg, Richard (1975). "Karamanlis's Cautious Success: the Background". Government and Opposition. 10 (3): 332–355.
* Diamandouros, P. Nikiforos (1984). "Transition to, and Consolidation of, Democratic Politics in Greece, 1974–1983: A Tentative Assessment". West European Politics. 7 (2): 50–71\. doi:10.1080/01402388408424470.
* Featherstone, Kevin; Papadimitriou, Dimitris (2015). Prime Ministers in Greece, The Paradox of Power. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198717171.
* Michalopoulos, Dimitri. "Konstantinos Karamanlis and the Cyprus Issue, 1955–1959". In Köse, Osman (ed.). Tarihte Kıbrıs. Vol. II. pp. 1021–1028\. ISBN 978-605-67945-0-6.
* Μichalopoulos, Dimitri (2018). Philia's Encomion: Greek–Turkish Relations in the 1950s. Istanbul: The Isis Press. ISBN 978-975-428-606-9.
* Wilsford, David, ed. (1995). Political Leaders of Contemporary Western Europe: A Biographical Dictionary. Greenwood. pp. 217–223\. ISBN 9780313286230.
* Woodhouse, Christopher Montague (1982). Karamanlis: The Restorer of Greek Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198225843.
* Pappas, Takis S. (1998). Making Party Democracy in Greece. Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349404346.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Konstantinos Karamanlis.

Wikiquote has quotations related to Konstantinos Karamanlis.

* "Institute for the Advancement of Democracy, Konstantinos Karamanlis".

Party political offices

Preceded by

Alexander Papagos

|  Leader of the Greek Rally
1955  | Position abolished
New political party |  President of the National Radical Union
1955–1963  | Succeeded by

Panagiotis Kanellopoulos

President of New Democracy
1974–1980  | Succeeded by

Georgios Rallis

Political offices
Preceded by

Konstantinos Rendis

|  Minister for National Defence
1950  | Succeeded by

Panagiotis Spiliotopoulos

Preceded by

Alexander Papagos

|  Prime Minister of Greece
1955–1958  | Succeeded by

Konstantinos Georgakopoulos

Preceded by

Panagiotis Kanellopoulos

|  Minister for National Defence
1955–1956  | Succeeded by

Stergios Steriopoulos

Preceded by

Konstantinos Georgakopoulos

|  Prime Minister of Greece
1958–1961  | Succeeded by

Konstantinos Dovas

Preceded by

Georgios Sergiopolis

|  Minister for National Defence
1958–1961  | Succeeded by

Charalambos Potamianos

Preceded by

Konstantinos Dovas

|  Prime Minister of Greece
1961–1963  | Succeeded by

Panagiotis Pipinelis

Preceded by

Adamantios Androutsopoulos

|  Prime Minister of Greece
1974–1980  | Succeeded by

George Rallis

Preceded by

Konstantinos Tsatsos

|  President of Greece
1980–1985  | Succeeded by

Ioannis Alevras
Acting

Preceded by

Christos Sartzetakis

|  President of Greece
1990–1995  | Succeeded by

Konstantinos Stephanopoulos

Awards
Preceded by

Walter Scheel

|  Recipient of the Charlemagne Prize
1978  | Succeeded by

Emilio Colombo

* v
* t
* e

Heads of state of Greece

First Hellenic Republic
(1827–1832)|

* I. Kapodistrias
* A. Kapodistrias
* Administrative Committee

Kingdom of Greece (Wittelsbach)
(1832–1862)|

* Otto
* Regency Council

Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg)
(1863–1924)|

* George I
* Constantine I
* Alexander
* Kountouriotis
* Queen Olga
* Constantine I
* George II
* Kountouriotis

Second Hellenic Republic
(1924–1935)|

* Kountouriotis
* Pangalos
* Kountouriotis
* Zaimis

Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg)
(1935–1973)|

* Kondylis
* George II
* Archbishop Damaskinos
* George II
* Paul
* Constantine II

Military Junta
(1967–1974)|

* Zoitakis*
* Papadopoulos*
* Gizikis*

Third Hellenic Republic
(since 1974)|

* Gizikis
* Stasinopoulos
* Tsatsos
* Karamanlis
* Alevras
* Sartzetakis
* Karamanlis
* Stephanopoulos
* Papoulias
* Pavlopoulos
* Sakellaropoulou
* Tasoulas

* Regents or interim presidents are in italics
* Heads of state appointed by the Military Junta are denoted by an asterisk *

* v
* t
* e

Heads of government of Greece

First Hellenic Republic
(1822–1832)|

* Mavrokordatos
* P. Mavromichalis
* Kountouriotis
* And. Zaimis
* I. Kapodistrias
* A. Kapodistrias

Kingdom of Greece (Wittelsbach)
(1833–1862)|

* Sp. Trikoupis
* Mavrokordatos
* Kolettis
* von Armansperg
* von Rudhart
* King Otto
* Mavrokordatos
* King Otto
* A. Metaxas
* Kanaris
* Mavrokordatos
* Kolettis
* Tzavelas
* Kountouriotis
* Kanaris
* Kriezis
* Mavrokordatos
* D. Voulgaris
* Miaoulis
* Kolokotronis

Kingdom of Greece (interregnum)
(1862–1863)|

* D. Voulgaris
* Moraitinis
* Z. Valvis
* Kyriakos
* Roufos

Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg)
(1863–1924)|

* D. Voulgaris
* Kanaris
* Z. Valvis
* Kanaris
* Koumoundouros
* Deligeorgis
* Roufos
* D. Voulgaris
* Koumoundouros
* Deligeorgis
* Roufos
* D. Voulgaris
* Koumoundouros
* Moraitinis
* D. Voulgaris
* Thr. Zaimis
* Deligeorgis
* Koumoundouros
* Thr. Zaimis
* D. Voulgaris
* Deligeorgis
* D. Voulgaris
* Ch. Trikoupis
* Koumoundouros
* Deligeorgis
* Koumoundouros
* Deligeorgis
* Koumoundouros
* Kanaris
* Koumoundouros
* Ch. Trikoupis
* Koumoundouros
* Ch. Trikoupis
* Koumoundouros
* Ch. Trikoupis
* Diligiannis
* D. Valvis
* Ch. Trikoupis
* Diligiannis
* Konstantopoulos
* Ch. Trikoupis
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* Ch. Trikoupis
* Deligiannis
* Diligiannis
* D. Rallis
* Al. Zaimis
* G. Theotokis
* Al. Zaimis
* Diligiannis
* G. Theotokis
* D. Rallis
* G. Theotokis
* Diligiannis
* D. Rallis
* G. Theotokis
* D. Rallis
* K. Mavromichalis
* Dragoumis
* El. Venizelos
* Gounaris
* El. Venizelos
* Al. Zaimis
* Skouloudis
* Al. Zaimis
* Kalogeropoulos
* El. Venizelos2
* Lambros
* Al. Zaimis
* El. Venizelos
* D. Rallis
* Kalogeropoulos
* Gounaris
* Stratos
* Protopapadakis
* Triantafyllakos
* Charalambis
* Krokidas
* Gonatas
* El. Venizelos
* Kafantaris

Second Hellenic Republic
(1924–1935)|

* Papanastasiou
* Sofoulis
* Michalakopoulos
* Pangalos1
* Eftaxias1
* Kondylis3
* Al. Zaimis
* El. Venizelos
* Papanastasiou
* El. Venizelos
* P. Tsaldaris
* El. Venizelos
* Othonaios3
* P. Tsaldaris

Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg)
(1935–1973)|

* Kondylis1
* Demertzis
* I. Metaxas1
* Koryzis
* Tsouderos2
* Tsolakoglou4
* Logothetopoulos4
* I. Rallis4
* Bakirtzis2
* S. Venizelos2
* Svolos2
* G. Papandreou (Sr.)
* Plastiras
* P. Voulgaris
* Archbishop Damaskinos
* Kanellopoulos
* Sofoulis
* Poulitsas3
* K. Tsaldaris
* Maximos
* K. Tsaldaris
* Sofoulis
* Vafeiadis2
* Partsalidis2
* Diomidis
* I. Theotokis3
* S. Venizelos
* Plastiras
* S. Venizelos
* Plastiras
* Kiousopoulos3
* Papagos
* K. Karamanlis (Sr.)
* Georgakopoulos3
* K. Karamanlis (Sr.)
* Dovas3
* K. Karamanlis (Sr.)
* Pipinelis
* Sty. Mavromichalis3
* G. Papandreou (Sr.)
* Paraskevopoulos3
* G. Papandreou (Sr.)
* Novas
* Tsirimokos
* Stefanopoulos
* Paraskevopoulos3
* Kanellopoulos3

Military Junta
(1967–1974)|

* Kollias1
* Papadopoulos1
* Markezinis1
* Androutsopoulos1

Third Hellenic Republic
(since 1974)|

* K. Karamanlis (Sr.)
* G. Rallis
* A. Papandreou
* Tzannetakis
* Grivas3
* Zolotas
* Ko. Mitsotakis
* A. Papandreou
* Simitis
* K. Karamanlis (Jr.)
* G. Papandreou (Jr.)
* Papademos3
* Pikrammenos3
* Samaras
* Tsipras
* Thanou3
* Tsipras
* Ky. Mitsotakis
* Sarmas3
* Ky. Mitsotakis

1Head of military/dictatorial government. 2Head of rival government not controlling Athens. 3Head of emergency or caretaker government. 4Head of collaborationist government during the Axis occupation (1941–44).

* v
* t
* e

Constantinos Karamanlis

Family|

* Achilleas Karamanlis
* Kostas Karamanlis

Politics|

* Statism
* Industrialisation
* Conservatism
* Pro-Europeanism
* Greek economic miracle

Events and Treaties|

* World War II
* Greek Civil War
* London-Zürich Agreements
* Treaty of Guarantee (1960)
* Greek legislative election, 1961
* Lambrakis assassination
* Greek military junta
* Turkish invasion of Cyprus
* Withdrawal from NATO
* Metapolitefsi
* 1974 Greek legislative election
* Greek republic referendum, 1974
* Pyjamas coup
* Greek Junta Trials
* Accession of Greece to the European Communities

Establishments|

* National Radical Union
* MOMA
* Nuclear Research Center "Demokritos"
* Public Petroleum Corporation
* Third Hellenic Republic
* Greek Constitution of 1974
* Demotic Greek establishment
* New Democracy (Greece)
* European Cultural Centre of Delphi
* Hellenic Aerospace Industry

Partners|

* Evangelos Averoff
* Georgios Rallis
* Stefanos Manos
* Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
* Konstantinos Stephanopoulos
* Georgios Souflias
* Lina Tsaldari
* Helen Vlachos
* Nikolaos Martis

Remembrance|

* Constantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy
* Konstantinos G. Karamanlis Foundation

* v
* t
* e

Leaders of New Democracy

* Konstantinos Karamanlis (1974–1980)
* Georgios Rallis (1980–1981)
* Evangelos Averoff (1981–1984)
* Konstantinos Mitsotakis (1984–1993)
* Miltiadis Evert (1993–1997)
* Kostas Karamanlis (1997–2009)
* Antonis Samaras (2009–2015)
* Vangelis Meimarakis (2015)§
* Giannis Plakiotakis (2015–2016)§
* Kyriakos Mitsotakis (2016–present)

§ interim leader

* v
* t
* e

Conservatism in Greece

Ideology|

* Tradition
* Family values
* Private property
* Statism
* Social market economy
* Metaxism
* Monarchism (historically)

Organizations|

* Panhellenic Liberation Organization

Political Parties|

* Napist Party
* English Party
* People's Party
* Freethinkers' Party
* Greek Rally
* Union of Populars
* Popular Social Party
* National Radical Union
* Democratic Renewal
* New Democracy
* Political Spring
* Communist Party of Greece
* Democratic Revival
* National Hope
* Independent Greeks
* Greek Solution
* National Unity Association

People|

* Ioannis Kapodistrias
* Alexandros Koumoundouros
* Stefanos Dragoumis
* Dimitrios Gounaris
* Dimitrios Rallis
* Petros Protopapadakis
* Nikolaos Kalogeropoulos
* Panagis Tsaldaris
* Ioannis Metaxas
* Alexandros Papagos
* Konstantinos Tsaldaris
* Lina Tsaldari
* Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
* Helen Vlachos
* Stefanos Stefanopoulos
* Odysseas Elytis
* Georgios Rallis
* Konstantinos Tsatsos
* Konstantinos Stephanopoulos
* Evangelos Averoff
* Konstantinos Karamanlis
* Antonis Samaras

Historical events|

* National Schism
* Leonardopoulos–Gargalidis coup d'état attempt
* Greek monarchy referendum, 1935
* 4th of August Regime
* Greek Resistance
* Greek Civil War
* Greek referendum, 1946
* Metapolitefsi

Policies|

* Greek language question
* Social order
* Greek economic miracle
* Protectionism

* v
* t
* e

Recipients of the Charlemagne Prize

1950–1975|

* 1950 Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi
* 1951 Hendrik Brugmans
* 1952 Alcide De Gasperi
* 1953 Jean Monnet
* 1954 Konrad Adenauer
* 1955
* 1956 Winston Churchill
* 1957 Paul-Henri Spaak
* 1958 Robert Schuman
* 1959 George C. Marshall
* 1960 Joseph Bech
* 1961 Walter Hallstein
* 1962
* 1963 Edward Heath
* 1964 Antonio Segni
* 1965
* 1966 Jens Otto Krag
* 1967 Joseph Luns
* 1968
* 1969 European Commission
* 1970 François Seydoux de Clausonne
* 1971
* 1972 Roy Jenkins
* 1973 Salvador de Madariaga
* 1974
* 1975

1976–2000|

* 1976 Leo Tindemans
* 1977 Walter Scheel
* 1978 Konstantinos Karamanlis
* 1979 Emilio Colombo
* 1980
* 1981 Simone Veil
* 1982 King Juan Carlos I
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986 People of Luxembourg
* 1987 Henry Kissinger
* 1988 François Mitterrand / Helmut Kohl
* 1989 Brother Roger
* 1990 Gyula Horn
* 1991 Václav Havel
* 1992 Jacques Delors
* 1993 Felipe González
* 1994 Gro Harlem Brundtland
* 1995 Franz Vranitzky
* 1996 Queen Beatrix
* 1997 Roman Herzog
* 1998 Bronisław Geremek
* 1999 Tony Blair
* 2000 Bill Clinton

2001–present|

* 2001 György Konrád
* 2002 Euro
* 2003 Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
* 2004 Pat Cox / Pope John Paul II1
* 2005 Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
* 2006 Jean-Claude Juncker
* 2007 Javier Solana
* 2008 Angela Merkel
* 2009 Andrea Riccardi
* 2010 Donald Tusk
* 2011 Jean-Claude Trichet
* 2012 Wolfgang Schäuble
* 2013 Dalia Grybauskaitė
* 2014 Herman Van Rompuy
* 2015 Martin Schulz
* 2016 Pope Francis
* 2017 Timothy Garton Ash
* 2018 Emmanuel Macron
* 2019 António Guterres
* 2020 Klaus Iohannis
* 2022 Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Maria Kalesnikava, Veronika Tsepkalo
* 2023 Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian people
* 2024 Pinchas Goldschmidt and the Jewish communities in Europe
* 2025 Ursula von der Leyen

1 Received extraordinary prize.

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People|

* Trove
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Other|

* IdRef
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* Yale LUX

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