Nikos Konstantopoulos

Who is Nikos Konstantopoulos?

Nikos Konstantopoulos is a Greek politician, member of the Hellenic Parliament and former president of the left-wing Synaspismos.

Born in 1942 in the village of Krestena, near Olympia, Konstantopoulos studied law in the University of Athens. During his period as a law student he became actively involved in the student movement as a member of the Center Union.

During the Greek military junta of 1967-1974, his ideas became more radical. He was a member of the Democratic Defense anti-junta resistance group. He was arrested, tortured and sentenced in 8 years of imprisonment by the regime in 1970. After the restoration of democracy in 1974, Konstantopoulos joined the movement for the abolishment of the monarchy in the country, a goal succeeded through the 1974 referendum.

Ηe was charter member of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement in 1974. One year later, he was expelled due to his disagreement with the party's leader, Andreas Papandreou. Together with professor Sakis Karagiorgas, a partner from the resistance, he founded a party called Socialist March, which he served as spokesman from 1975 to 1979. He took part in the 1977 general election as a member of the short-lived Socialist March within the Alliance of Progressive and Left-Wing Forces.