- Georgios Voulgarakis
Georgios Voulgarakis ( _gr. Γιώργος Βουλγαράκης) (born
June 4 ,1959 inCrete [http://www.parliament.gr/english/synthesh/mp.asp?MPID=438 Biography on Greek Parliament website] .] ) is a Greek politician and the former Minister for Mercantile Marine and Island Policy.Voulgarakis is fluent in English and holds a PhD in economics from the
University of Athens . He is a member of the New Democracy party. He has been elected to parliament from the Athens A constituency since the June 1989 parliamentary election and served as Deputy Minister for the Environment, Town Planning and Public Works fromDecember 3 1992 toOctober 12 1993 . He was Minister of Public Order in the government of Prime MinisterCostas Karamanlis fromMarch 10 2004 [ [http://www.hri.org/news/greek/ana/2004/04-03-11.ana.html#05 "New public order minister assumes his duties"] , Athens News Agency, (hri.org), March 11, 2004.] until a cabinet reshuffle onFebruary 14 2006 , when he was named Minister of Culture instead. This was considered a demotion in the wake of a phone-tapping scandal. [Kerin Hope, [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/fd07db96-9dc8-11da-b1c6-0000779e2340.html "New Greek foreign minister named"] , "Financial Times", February 15, 2006.] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4712746.stm "Athens mayor joins Greek cabinet"] , BBC News, February 14, 2006.]On May 30, 2006, Voulgarakis survived an assassination attempt from the
far-left Greekterrorist group Revolutionary Struggle . Over two pounds of explosives were strapped to a bicycle stationed near Voulgarakis’ residence and then detonated by remote control. No injuries resulted from the explosion, but four parked cars and a school building succumbed to damage.Following New Democracy's victory in the September 2007 parliamentary election, Voulgarakis was moved from his position as Minister for Culture to become Minister of Mercantile Marine and Island Policy in the Cabinet 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.] [ [http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100008_19/09/2007_87968 "New faces and trusted aides are unveiled in Karamanlis’s Cabinet"] , ANA (ekathimerini.com), September 19, 2007.] On September 12, 2008, Voulgarakis resigned from his position in the Government due to multiple political scandals, according to some politically oposed to Georgios Voulgarakis journalists and not yet proven by justice. Kostas Karamanlis, the Prime Minister, decided to give the portfolio of the Ministry toAnastasios Papaligouras , a former Minister.References
External links
* [http://www.voulgarakis.gr/ Personal website]
* [http://www.parliament.gr/english/synthesh/mp.asp?MPID=438 Biography on Greek Parliament website]
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