Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou Greek lawyer Date of Birth: 30.11.1950 Country: Greece

1. Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou
2. Education and Career
3. Supreme Court and Beyond
4. Elections Tribunal
5. Prime Minister of Greece
6. Transition Government
7. Return to Supreme Court

Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou

Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou is a distinguished Greek jurist and the first female President of the Supreme Court of Greece. She holds a prominent role in the Greek judiciary and has made significant contributions to the nation's legal system.

Education and Career

Born in Chalcis, Greece, in 1950, Thanou-Christophilou earned her law degree from the Athens University School of Law. She pursued further studies in Paris, specializing in European law. In 1975, she began her judicial career and rose steadily through the ranks. She served as President of the Court of First Instance in 1992, moved to the Appeals Court in 1996, and became President of the Appeals Court in 2005.

Supreme Court and Beyond

In 2008, Thanou-Christophilou was appointed to the Supreme Court of Greece. She became Vice President in 2014 and assumed the presidency on July 1, 2015. Additionally, she lectures in civil law at the National School of Judges since 2009.

Elections Tribunal

As the senior Vice President among the three highest judicial bodies in Greece (Council of State, Supreme Court, Audit Court), Thanou-Christophilou also served as President of the Elections Tribunal, responsible for adjudicating challenges to electoral processes.

Prime Minister of Greece

On August 27, 2015, following the resignation of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos appointed Thanou-Christophilou as head of a caretaker government, making her the first woman to lead the Greek government. She held this role until the early parliamentary elections in September 2015.

Transition Government

The caretaker government was sworn in on August 28, 2015. It consisted of prominent experts in their respective fields, including George Houliarakis as Finance Minister, Petros Molyviatis as Foreign Minister, and Alkistis Protopsalti as Tourism Minister. During her short tenure, Thanou-Christophilou faced a complex decision regarding the closure of Greek airspace to Russian planes providing humanitarian aid to Syria. Her government declined the US request.

Return to Supreme Court

On September 21, 2015, Thanou-Christophilou handed over the government to Tsipras, who had won the early elections. She resumed her role as President of the Supreme Court, continuing to lead the Greek judiciary with integrity and distinction.