Greece hands reins to first woman president

Greece yesterday swore in the first woman president in its history as the country grapples with over 100 coronavirus cases. Katerina Sakellaropoulou, a 63-year-old senior judge, becomes the new Greek head of state for a five-year term. She took a religious oath in parliament before Archbishop Ieronymos, head of the Orthodox Church of Greece.

And she was to place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier—Greece’s foremost military monument—before heading to the presidential mansion for a handover ceremony with outgoing president Prokopis Pavlopoulos, parliament said.

Known as low-key and living in a working-class district of Athens, Sakellaropoulou has made it known she prefers to be called Katerina, instead of the more formal Ekaterini.

The ceremony in parliament was drastically scaled back as a result of the virus outbreak, with around 150 guests present instead of a planned 1,000 -- and no handshakes.

 

Greece hands reins to first woman president

Greece yesterday swore in the first woman president in its history as the country grapples with over 100 coronavirus cases. Katerina Sakellaropoulou, a 63-year-old senior judge, becomes the new Greek head of state for a five-year term. She took a religious oath in parliament before Archbishop Ieronymos, head of the Orthodox Church of Greece. And she was to place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown SoldierGreeces foremost military monumentbefore heading to the presidential mansion for a handover ceremony with outgoing president Prokopis Pavlopoulos, parliament said. Known as low-key and living in a working-class district of Athens, Sakellaropoulou has made it known she prefers to be called Katerina, instead of the more formal Ekaterini. The ceremony in parliament was drastically scaled back as a result of the virus outbreak, with around 150 guests present instead of a planned 1,000 -- and no handshakes.