Speaker

Born in 1954, Dora Bakoyannis was educated at the German School of Paris. After studying Political Science and Communication at the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, she continued her studies in Political Science and Public Law at the University of Athens. She speaks fluently English, French and German.

She is a member of the Greek Parliament, Coordinator responsible for Economy and Development for Nea Demokratia, and member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (EPP/CD group).

She has been consecutively elected as a member of the Greek Parliament since 1989.

From 1990 to 1992 she served as Under-Secretary of State and from 1992 to 1993 as Minister for Culture.

She was the first female Mayor of Athens (2002-2006) and the first female Greek Foreign Minister (2006-2009). Moreover, she was the President of the United Nations Security Council (2006) and the Chairperson of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (2009).

In 2003, he has been awarded the International Leadership Award by the International Centre for Women and her valuable contribution to culture was recognized by the 14th International Symposium Fontana di Roma. In the same year, upon the invitation of Romano Prodi, then President of the European Commission, she joined a group of 12 high-level independent figures from Europe, as a member of a prestigious round-table conference, contributing proposals on the social character, cultural identity and economic future of new Europe.

Dora Bakoyannis was voted World Mayor in 2005.

Since 2006, she has been included in the Forbes annual list of the Worlds’ Most Powerful Women for three consecutive years.

In 2008, she was awarded the “Emperor Maximilian Award – European Award for Regional Policy and Local Government” by the State of Tyrol and the city of Innsbruck.

In 2009, she was elected the First Female Foreign Associate of the French Academy in Humanities and Political Sciences.

In 2013, she became a Meritus Doctor of the European Polytechnic University of Bulgaria, for her endeavours regarding Bulgaria’s and South-eastern Europe’s path towards the EU.

In the same year she was awarded the OSCE Medal for her contribution to the approach between NATO and Russia at the Corfu Summit, during her chairmanship of the OSCE in 2009.

Additionally, Dora Bakoyannis has been awarded with the following honours:

2003, Grand Commander of the Order of Makarios III (Cyprus)

2004, Commander of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (Poland)

2004, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, Cavaliere di Gran Croce (Italy)

2005, Commander of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (Hungary)

2006, Grand Cross of the Order of Danebrog (Denmark)

2006, Grand Cross of the Jerusalem Patriarchate

2007, Grosses Goldenes Ehrenzeichen am Bande, Der Republik Österreich (Austria)

2008, Grand Cross of the Order of the Phoenix of the Hellenic Repubic (Greece)

As a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe:

Dora Bakoyannis served as Chairperson of the Committee of Political Affairs and Democracy from 2014 until 2016 and Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on relations with the OECD and the EBRD from 2016 to 2018. She has been the Co-Rapporteur for the Russian Federation (Monitoring Committee) and the Rapporteur on “Threats against humanity posed by the terrorist group known as “IS”: violence against Christians and other religious or ethnic communities” (Political Committee). Currently, she serves as Rapporteur for the Syrian crisis (Political Committee) and the functioning of democratic institutions in Poland (Monitoring Committee).

Moreover, she is a full member of the following bodies:

– Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy
– Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee)
– Sub-Committee on External Relations
– Sub-Committee on relations with the OECD and the EBRD

Dora Bakoyannis is known worldwide for her adamant stance against terrorism.