Yanos Papantoniu

Yanos Papantoniu studied economics at the University of Athens in Greece and the University of Wisconsin in the United States, and studied history at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes School of Advanced Research in France. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. From 1988 to 2007, Papantoniu served as a member of the Greek National Assembly; From 2001 to 2003, served as the Minister of National Defense; From 1996 to 2001, served as the Minister of National Economy and Finance; Served as the Minister of National Economy from 1994 to 1996; From 1993 to 94, served as the alternate minister of the national economy; In 1989, he was appointed as the Minister of Trade; From 1985 to 89, he was appointed as the Deputy Minister of the National Economy. During his tenure as Minister of Economy and Finance, he established a close partnership with the European Economic and Financial Affairs Council ECOFIN to prepare for the launch of the euro in Greece. In September 1998, the European currency magazine EUROMONEY gave him high praise, stating that he had successfully made Greece a candidate member of the European Union's single currency system. Prior to this, Papantonio worked at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris. He was a member of the European Parliament and an advisor to the Greek Prime Minister on European Economic Community affairs and integration. In 1999, he was elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). From 2009 to 2010, he was a senior researcher at the Greek Observatory at the European Institute of the London School of Economics. In 2013, he was a Bosch Public Policy Researcher at the Transatlantic Academy in Washington, D.C. Currently, Papantonio is the chairman of the Center for Progressive Policy Research, KEPP, an independent think tank headquartered in Athens. He has published numerous books and articles on political and economic development in Greece, Europe, and around the world.