Source: SFGate
“Veteran conservative lawmaker Constantine Tassoulas was sworn in as Greece’s new president Thursday, as the government grapples with lingering public anger over a deadly rail disaster two years ago. The 65-year-old lawyer and former parliamentary speaker will serve a five-year term in a largely ceremonial role. He succeeds Katerina Sakellaropoulou, a retired senior judge and the first woman to hold the office. A stalwart conservative, Tassoulas’ election marks a departure from the tradition of seeking cross-party consensus for the presidency. The center-right government is still dealing with the fallout from a 2023 rail collision that killed 57 people, which sparked strikes and mass protests over a perceived lack of political accountability. At Thursday’s ceremony, presidential guards in pleated kilts, red caps, and billowing shirts slow-marched past a makeshift memorial outside parliament. The tribute, adorned with candles and flowers, featured the names of the victims scrawled in red paint.” (03/13/25)