Prokopios Pavlopoulos was born in 1950 in Kalamata, Greece. In 1968 he was accepted at the Athens Law School from which he graduated, with distinction, in 1973, before moving to Paris for postgraduate studies. In 1974 he obtained a Master of Advanced Studies (DEA) in Public Law from the University Paris II and in 1977 he obtained his PhD (Doctorat d’ État) with distinction. In 1982 he started his academic career at the University of Athens Law School where he was elected Assistant Professor (1983), Associate Professor (1985) and Professor in 1989. Moreover, he taught and conducted research as a visiting Professor at Paris II University (1986). Prokopios Pavlopoulos has also been a very active politician, ever since he held the position of Secretary to the first (interim) President of the Republic, Michael Stassinopoulos (1974-1975). He served as Deputy Minister of the Presidency responsible for the Media and Government Spokesman during the Xenophon Zolotas National Unity Government (1989-1990). In 1990 he was appointed Director of the Presidency’s legal office during the presidency of Konstantinos Karamanlis, a position he held until 1995, while afterwards serving as spokesman of the New Democracy party between 1995-1996. In 1996 he was elected Member of Parliament for the State for the New Democracy party and was head of the party’s Public Administration, Public Order and Justice department (1996-2000). From 2000 to 2014 he was elected to Parliament representing the constituency of Central Athens. He was Parliamentary spokesman for the New Democracy party (2000-2004) and from 2004 until 2009 he served as Minister of the then integrated Ministry of the Interior in the Kostas Karamanlis Government. On February 18, 2015 he was elected President of the Republic with a large majority of 233 votes out of 300.