Sokratis Famellos

Greek Leader of the Opposition since 2023
Σωκράτης Φάμελλος
Famellos in July 2017
Leader of the OppositionIn office
3 July 2023 – 27 August 2024Prime MinisterKyriakos MitsotakisPreceded byAlexis TsiprasSucceeded byNikos PappasLeader of Syriza in the Hellenic ParliamentIn office
3 July 2023 – 27 August 2024Party PresidentAlexis Tsipras
Stefanos KasselakisPreceded byAlexis TsiprasSucceeded byNikos PappasAlternate Minister for Environment and EnergyIn office
5 November 2016 – 9 July 2019Prime MinisterAlexis TsiprasMinisterGiorgos StathakisPreceded byGiannis TsironisSucceeded byGiorgos AmyrasMember of the Hellenic Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office
25 January 2015ConstituencyThessaloniki B Personal detailsBorn
Sokratis Famellos

(1966-03-27) 27 March 1966 (age 58)
Athens, GreecePolitical partySyrizaSpouse
Popi Karagiannidou
​
(d. 
  • Politician
  • Chemical Engineer

Sokratis Famellos (Greek: Σωκράτης Φάμελλος; born 27 March 1966) is a Greek politician and former chemical engineer who had served as Chairman of Syriza parliamentary group from 2023 to 2024.

Early life, education and career

Sokratis Famellos was born on 27 March 1966 in Athens, but was raised in Thessaloniki.[1] He earned a diploma from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and a Master of Science in Environmental Planning and Management from the Hellenic Open University; later working as a chemical engineer.[2]

Political career

Famellos was elected to the Hellenic Parliament representing for Thessaloniki B in 2015.[1] He was reelected for the constituency in 2019 and served as the Alternative Minister for the Environment and Energy from November 2016 to July 2016.[2]

Leader of the Opposition

Following the defeat of Syriza in the June 2023 Greek legislative election and the resignation of Alexis Tsipras as party chairman, on 3 July 2023 Famellos was elected as chairman of the Syriza parliamentary group.[3]

Prior to the 2023 Syriza leadership election, there was speculation that Famellos would be a candidate, which he denied.[4] Under the new leader, Stefanos Kasselakis, Famellos retained his position as chairman of the parliamentary group.[5][6] Even though Syriza itself[7] as well as the Greek media[8][9] refer to Kasselakis as Leader of the Opposition, de jure this is not the case: the only legal definition of the position, in the statute of the Hellenic Parliament, reserves the position for the leader of the largest parliamentary group not participating in the government, who by law must also be an MP. As Kasselakis is not an MP, this position belongs to Famellos.[10]

Personal life

Famellos was married to Popi Karagiannidou until her death in 2018.[11] They had one son together.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b "Sokratis Petrou Famellos CV". Hellenic Parliament. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Sokratis Famellos - Circle the Med Forum". www.circlethemed.com. Retrieved 2024-07-21.
  3. ^ "Φάμελλος: Θα σταθούμε όρθιοι και θα δουλέψουμε για το συμφέρον της κοινωνικής πλειοψηφίας" (in Greek). in.gr. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  4. ^ "ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Θα θέσει υποψηφιότητα ο Φάμελλος; – Τι είπε για την υποψηφιότητα Κασσελάκη" (in Greek). Naftemporiki. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Kasselakis keeps Famellos as president of SYRIZA's parliamentary group | eKathimerini.com". www.ekathimerini.com. 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2024-07-21.
  6. ^ Fallon, Katy. "An ex-Goldman Sachs banker vies to preside over the troubled Greek left". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-07-21.
  7. ^ "Στέφανος Κασσελάκης, Πρόεδρος ΣΥΡΙΖΑ-ΠΣ". Syriza. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Απάντηση Θεοδωρικάκου σε Κασσελάκη: «Ο θαλασσοδαρμένος αρχηγός της αξιωματικής αντιπολίτευσης από τα μαλλιά του πιάνεται»". www.naftemporiki.gr (in Greek). 25 April 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Η πρώτη επικοινωνία Μητσοτάκη - Κασσελάκη - Τι βλέπουν στην κυβέρνηση" (in Greek). Ta Nea. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  10. ^ Haralambos Tsiliotis. "Μπορεί να είναι ο κ. Κασσελάκης Αρχηγός της Αξιωματικής Αντιπολίτευσης;". Syntagma Watch (in Greek). Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  11. ^ a b ""Έφυγε" από τη ζωή η Πόπη Καραγιαννίδου, σύζυγος του Σωκράτη Φάμελλου". ProtoThema (in Greek). 2018-02-18. Retrieved 2024-07-21.
Political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition
2023–2024 		Succeeded by
Nikos Pappas