Elena Kountoura
Greece- Lena Mendoni
- Early Life and Sports Career
- Modeling Career
- Political Career
- Other Activities
- Awards and Recognition
- Personal Life
Lena Mendoni
Lena Mendoni is a Greek politician, former model, and current Member of the European Parliament. She has served as Minister of Tourism, Deputy Minister of Tourism, and Member of the Hellenic Parliament.
Early Life and Sports Career
Born in Athens on November 2, 1962, Mendoni's father, Alexandros Koundouras, was a Greek army officer who participated in King Constantine II's countercoup against the military junta in 1967. As a teenager, Mendoni excelled in track and field, winning Greek championships in high jump and 100-meter hurdles in 1978. She represented the Greek national high jump team for several years.
Modeling Career
Following her graduation from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens with a degree in physical education, Mendoni pursued an international modeling career from 1984 to 1996. She was named one of the world's top ten models by CNN in 1990. She worked in Paris, Tokyo, New York, and Milan, collaborating with renowned photographers and brands.
Political Career
In 2004, Mendoni entered politics as a member of the New Democracy party. She served as a Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2007 and from 2011 to 2019. In 2012, she left New Democracy and joined the Independent Greeks party. She was elected as their parliamentary group leader in 2014. In 2019, she was expelled from Independent Greeks for supporting Alexis Tsipras' cabinet and joined SYRIZA.
Mendoni served as Deputy Minister of Tourism from 2015 and Minister of Tourism from 2016 to 2019 in the government of Alexis Tsipras. She was elected to the European Parliament from SYRIZA in 2019.
Other Activities
Mendoni is involved in various charitable activities. She has served as president of Europa Donna Greece since 2009 and volunteered with UNESCO, UNICEF, and other organizations focused on human rights, health, and women's issues. She is fluent in English, French, and Spanish.
Awards and Recognition
Mendoni has received awards for her work in tourism, including the "Tourism Minister of the Year 2019" award from ITB Berlin and the 2019 World Travel and Tourism Council Award. She has also been recognized for her support of social volunteering and her work as an advocate for breast cancer awareness.
Personal Life
Mendoni was married twice, first to Spanish footballer Michel Pineda in 1987 and later to Greek basketball player Sarantis Papageorgioupolos. She has two sons, Alexandros and Marios.
