Charilaos Florakis

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Charilaos Florakis (also Harilaos Florakis; Greek: Χαρίλαος Φλωράκης; 20 July 1914 – 22 May 2005) was a leader of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). He is best known for establishing the dominance of the KKE over other left-wing elements, and for his flexibility and forming alliances with the conservatives.

Early life

Florakis was born on 20 July 1914 in the village of Paliozoglopi, located near

First elected to parliament in 1974 after the Metapolitefsi,^[2] Florakis led KKE as its general secretary from 1972 until 1989,^[1] when, though still fit for the job, he announced his decision to step down from the party's top post and proposed Grigoris Farakos as his successor.

The Synaspismos era

Florakis did not retire from politics, however. In the same year he retired from the leadership of the KKE, he was approved as the president of the newly founded Synaspismos or

In 1991, as it became increasingly clear that Soviet communism would not last, a rift arose within the KKE between those who supported continuing efforts towards a reconciliation with the Euro-communists through Synaspismos, and orthodox communists who felt that communism was threatened internationally and favoured a return to ideological roots. Florakis sided with the latter and at the 13th KKE conference in early 1991 —even before the fall of Mikhail Gorbachev and the dissolution of the Soviet Union— the party officially withdrew all support from Synaspismos and Florakis was elected honorary president of the KKE.

Death

Florakis died of

Awards

Florakis received many awards during his lifetime for his multiple achievements and political activities:

• Order of Friendship of Peoples, from the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
• German Democratic Republic
• Dimitrov Prize, from the People's Republic of Bulgaria
• Order of Lenin, from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1984

References

Further reading

• Wilsford, David, ed. Political leaders of contemporary Western Europe: a biographical dictionary (Greenwood, 1995) pp 144-150.

External links

• In memory of Charilaos Florakis
• Culture centre "Charilaos Florakis"