Zoe Konstantopoulou Greek lawyer, politician Date of Birth: 08.12.1976 Country: Greece

1. Early Life and Education
2. Legal and Activist Career
3. Political Career
4. Speakership and Dissent
5. Break from SYRIZA and New Party

Early Life and Education

Zoe Konstantopoulou was born into a family of left-wing activists who fought against the military dictatorship of the "Colonels Regime." Her father, Nikos Konstantopoulos, was a prominent figure in the Synaspismos party, the predecessor to SYRIZA.

Legal and Activist Career

Zoe Konstantopoulou is a lawyer specializing in international law and human rights. She initiated investigations into two major corruption cases: the Siemens scandal and the tax evasion case involving the "Lagarde List" of wealthy Greeks. She also chaired a commission that investigated Greece's external debt and advocated for reparations from Germany for WWII reparations.

Political Career

Konstantopoulou was elected to the Greek Parliament in May 2012, representing SYRIZA. In June 2012, she was re-elected with a record number of votes in her district. On January 27, 2015, she was nominated as Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament.

Speakership and Dissent

On February 6, 2015, Konstantopoulou was elected Speaker by a record 235 votes. She became the youngest Speaker in Greek history and led the effort to audit Greece's external debt. She criticized Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for his concessions to international creditors and opposed austerity measures.

Break from SYRIZA and New Party

In 2015, Konstantopoulou broke away from SYRIZA and joined the left-wing Unity Platform, which formed the Popular Unity party. In 2016, she founded her own party, Course to Freedom, which espouses a left-populist ideology.