Veteran Greek politician Vasilis Leventis dies at 74
Vasilis Leventis, the veteran Greek politician who spent decades on the political fringes before leading the Union of Centrists into Parliament in 2015, has died at the age of 74.
His death was announced by his son, Marios Georgiadis, in a social media post.
Leventis built a loyal following through his outspoken criticism of Greece's political establishment, arguing for years that corruption, excessive public spending and political patronage would eventually lead the country into economic collapse. Although often dismissed during the 1990s, many later viewed his warnings as prescient after the outbreak of Greece's debt crisis in 2010.
Born in Messini in 1951, Leventis studied civil engineering at the National Technical University of Athens and took part in the resistance against the 1967-1974 military dictatorship.
He founded the Union of Centrists in 1992 after several unsuccessful election campaigns and became widely known through his televised political broadcasts, which earned him both devoted supporters and outspoken critics.
His political breakthrough came in September 2015, when the Union of Centrists entered Parliament with 3.44% of the vote and nine seats at the height of Greece's economic crisis. He served as an MP until 2019, when the party lost parliamentary representation.
Leventis is remembered as one of Greece's most unconventional political figures, whose anti-establishment message and persistence left a distinctive mark on the country's political landscape.
