Aleka Papariga Αλέκα Παπαρήγα MP |
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Leader of the Communist Party Parliamentary Group | |
In office 10 October 1993 – 25 January 2015 |
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Preceded by | Grigoris Farakos |
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece | |
In office 27 February 1991 – 14 April 2013 |
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Preceded by | Grigoris Farakos |
Succeeded by | Dimitris Koutsoumpas |
Member of the Parliament of Greece for Athens B | |
Assumed office 10 October 1993 |
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Personal details | |
Born |
Athens, Greece |
November 5, 1945
Political party | Communist Party of Greece |
Other political affiliations |
United Democratic Left (1961–1967) |
Spouse(s) | Athanasios Paparigas |
Children | Vasilia Papariga |
Residence | Athens, Greece |
Alma mater | University of Athens |
Occupation | Politician |
Alexandra "Aleka" Papariga (née Drosou; Greek: Αλέκα Παπαρήγα; born November 5, 1945) is a communist Greek politician who served the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) as its General Secretary from 1991 to 2013. She is the first woman who has taken on the office of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of KKE, being the first woman to head a major political party in Greece.
Papariga was born in Athens in 1945. Her parents, Nikos Drosos and Kiki Drosou were National Resistance fighters and members of KKE, of Cephalonian origin.
She graduated from the Historical-Archeological Section of the Philosophy Faculty of Athens University and after graduation worked as an employee for eight years in various accounting offices. At the same time she worked as a private tutor. Since 1976 she has worked exclusively in party and social activities.
Papariga started out as an activist in the peace movement in 1961 and soon after joined the pupils' organization of the youth section of the United Democratic Left (EDA). She was active in various school and student movements until the military coup in 1967. Throughout this period, she was a member of the Bureau of the EDA youth section pupils' organization and then of the "Lambrakis" Democratic Youth Students’ organization Bureau.
She joined KKE in 1968, while it was illegal during the Greek military junta and was active in the prisoners' families' movement.
After the end of the military junta, she became a member of the Bureau of the City Committee of the Athens Party Organization (KOA), and was also active in the women's movement. A founding member of the Women's Federation of Greece, she participated in the organization of national events for International Women's Day. She was a leading member of the women's movement until to 1981, and then active in the Athens Party Organization up to 1991. During her activities in the women's movement, she participated in international congresses of the Women's International Democratic Federation, the United Nations, and many international conferences and symposia.