Louka Katseli
GreeceEarly Life and Education
Louka Katseli was born on April 20, 1952, in Athens, Greece. Her parents were renowned theatrical figures: her father, Pelos Katselis, was an actor and director, while her mother, Aleka Katseli, was an actress, choreographer, and director.
In 1972, Katseli graduated with honors from Smith College with a degree in economics. She then earned two master's degrees, in economic policy and international financial management, from Princeton University. In 1978, she received her Ph.D. from Princeton.
Academic Career
From 1977 to 1985, Katseli worked as an assistant and later as a professor at Yale University. In 1980, she received the university's award for outstanding young teacher and a fellowship from the German Marshall Fund (1982-1984). She also taught as a visiting professor at the University of London, Birkbeck (1986), and the Athens University of Economics and Business (1986-1987).
Since 1987, Katseli has been a professor in the Department of Economics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She served as the president of the university from 1997 to 2001. Katseli is the author of over 40 publications in the field of international macroeconomic policy, with a focus on development cooperation and migration policy.
Political Career
A member of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) since 1976, Katseli held various positions within the party, including scientific director (1982-1986), member of the Council of Economic Advisors (1982-1984), and special economic advisor to Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou (1993-1996).
In 2003, Katseli was elected as the director of the Development Centre of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). She held this position until 2007, when she was elected as a member of the Hellenic Parliament for PASOK.
In 2009, following the victory of PASOK in the snap elections, Katseli was appointed Minister of Economy, Competitiveness, and Merchant Marine. In 2010, she was appointed Minister of Labor.
After voting against the support of a new austerity program for a second tranche of financial aid from the IMF and EU, Katseli was expelled from PASOK. In 2012, she co-founded the "Agreement for Social and Political Cooperation" party with Haris Kastanidis.
