Legacy of Leadership: Remembering Costas Simitis

Costas Simitis, former Greek Prime Minister known for leading Greece into the euro zone, passed away at 88. His tenure saw economic reforms that enabled Greece's euro membership. Simitis, a reformist leader of PASOK, critiqued the handling of the 2009 Greek debt crisis in his later writings.

Costas Simitis, the former Greek Prime Minister who guided Greece into the European Union's single currency in 2001, has passed away at 88. He died at his summer house in the Peloponnese, as confirmed by local officials.

Current Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condolences, acknowledging Simitis as a 'noble political opponent' who played a critical role in Greece's national achievements. A period of mourning has been declared, with the government covering the costs of his funeral, according to the Greek state news agency.

Simitis, a law professor and reform-minded leader, assumed the helm of the PASOK socialist party in 1996, serving as Prime Minister until 2004. His governance was marked by significant economic reforms, which included reducing the budget deficit and public debt to secure Greece's entry into the euro zone. In 2012, he authored 'Derailment,' critiquing Greek and EU responses to the financial crisis.

(With inputs from agencies.)