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Updated January 21st, 2020 at 19:48 IST

Greece: Top judge set to become first female president

A high court judge is set to become Greece's first female president after two opposition parties sided with the centre-right government's nomination.

Greece: Top judge set to become first female president
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A high court judge is set to become Greece's first female president after two opposition parties sided with the centre-right government's nomination. Katerina Sakellaropoulou, 63, has served as president of the Council of State, a top administrative court, for the past 15 months.

A government spokesman, Stelios Petsas, on Tuesday said Sakellaropoulou was set to receive "well beyond" the 200 votes needed for her election in a vote scheduled in the 300-seat Parliament on Wednesday.

Two centre-left opposition parties have already backed Sakellaropoulou's nomination, raising the total number of lawmakers from parties declaring support to 266.

Greece has a historically low level of women in senior positions in politics. In the current cabinet, all but one of the 18 senior positions are held by men. The president holds a largely ceremonial position and serves a five-year term. If elected, Sakellaropoulou will succeed President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, a 69-year-old veteran conservative politician and academic.

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Published January 21st, 2020 at 19:48 IST

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