Former Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, known for leading Greece into the eurozone, has passed away at the age of 88. Greek media reported that Simitis was found unconscious at his holiday home near Corinth and transported to a hospital where he was declared dead. An autopsy is planned to identify the cause of death. Simitis, a key figure in the Socialist PASOK party, became Greece's prime minister in 1996 and considered the country's entry into the eurozone in 2001 his greatest achievement.
Simitis rose to prominence as a co-founder of his party in 1974 and served as finance minister, overseeing austerity measures in the 1980s to stabilize Greece's economy. His tenure as prime minister also included securing the 2004 Olympic Games for Athens and fostering significant infrastructure development. Despite these accomplishments, Simitis faced criticism over financial mismanagement and a controversial debt swap after Greece joined the eurozone, which critics claimed manipulated debt figures.
Ultimately, resistance within PASOK to pension reform weakened Simitis politically, leading to his resignation in 2004. He was succeeded by George Papandreou, son of the party's founding leader. Despite stepping away from politics, Simitis warned in 2009 of Greece's looming financial crisis, a prediction that became a reality with the International Monetary Fund and the European Union imposing severe austerity in 2010. Simitis leaves behind his wife Daphne, two daughters, and a legacy marked by both significant achievements and contentious challenges. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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