Anastasios Papaligouras

Anastasios Papaligouras ( _el. Αναστάσιος Παπαληγούρας) (born April 14 1948) is a Greek lawyer and New Democracy politician and the current Minister for Mercantile Marine and Island Policy.

Born in Athens, Papaligouras studied law at the University of Athens and took a Masters in Comparative European Law at Brunel University, London. He was leader of ONNED (the New Democracy youth organisation) from 1976 to 1977. From 1976 to 1978, he was a member of the New Democracy Executive Committee, and from 1976 to 1981 he was a member of the New Democracy Administrative Committee. He was elected MP for Korinthia in the general elections of 1981, 1985, 1993, 1996 and 2000. [ [http://www.parliament.gr/english/synthesh/mp.asp?MPID=497 Greek Parliament Website - Curriculum Vitae] .]

Following New Democracy's victory in the 2004 parliamentary election, Papaligouras became Minister for Justice in the new government of Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis on March 10, 2004. [ [http://www.hri.org/news/greek/ana/2004/04-03-10.ana.html#01 "PM-elect Costas Karamanlis unveils Cabinet"] , Athens News Agency (hri.org), March 10, 2004.] He was replaced by Sotirios Hatzigakis in the government sworn in on September 19 2007. [ [http://www.hri.org/news/greek/apeen/2007/07-09-18_1.apeen.html "New Greek government announced"] , ANA (hri.org), September 18, 2007.] On September 12, 2008, Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis decided to give him the portfolio of the Ministry for Mercantile Marine and Island Policy, because of the resignation of the former Minister.

He was married to Zaira Ralli and has a daughter. Anastasios Papaligouras is the son of the right-wing politician Panayotis Papaligouras who was appointed minister many times between 1949 and 1976 (Coordination and Plan, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture).

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