WHO IS WHO-The presidential candidate Stavros Dimas
The Greek government has announced veteran politician Stavros Dimas as its candidate for President of Greece.
Born in Athens in 30 April 1941, the 73-year-old Dimas is a Greek politician who has served as EU Commissioner and Foreign minister in an interim government.
Dimas studied law and economics at the University of Athens and went on to gain a master's degree from New York University. In 1969 he began working as a lawyer for a firm on Wall Street, moving to the World Bank the following year.
In 1975 he returned to Greece to take up the post of deputy governor of the Hellenic Industrial Development Bank.
From 1977 he was active in Greek politics as a member of the conservative New Democracy party. He was elected to the Greek parliament ten consecutive times from that year.
From the outset he was involved in Greece's accession negotiations with the European Union. He went on to hold a variety of ministerial and other political positions.
Dimas served briefly in the Romano Prodi Commission. He was appointed European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs in March 2004, taking over the role from the previous Greek Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou.
From November 2011 to May 2012, he served in the interim government of Lucas Papademos as Minister for Foreign Affairs.
In 2004, the Greek government nominated Dimas for the incoming Barroso Commission which took office on 22 November 2004. Dimas was appointed Commissioner for the Environment until Feb. 2010.
source enikos.gr
