Galato "Toula" Alexandraki (Greek: Γαλάτω Αλεξανδράκη; born 1948) is a Greek retired livestock farm worker, who will become a member of the European Parliament for the Greek Solution party. She will take office on 16 July 2024.[1]
Galato Alexandraki | |
|---|---|
| Γαλάτω Αλεξανδράκη | |
| Member of the European Parliament for Greece | |
| Assumed office 16 July 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Galato Alexandraki 1948 (75–76) Koufovouno, Evros, Greece |
| Political party | Greek Solution (2019–present) |
| Children | 1 |
| Occupation | Livestock farm worker • butcher • politician |
Galato Alexandraki was born and raised in Koufovouno, Evros, where she lived until the 1990s as a livestock farmer. Later, she moved to Alexandroupolis and opened a butcher's shop, which she maintains with her son until today. The butcher did not run any election campaign but nevertheless, she managed to win 51,237 votes and came second on the Hellenic Solution ballot paper.[2]
The party's President, Kyriakos Velopoulos, claimed that he included Mrs Alexandraki on the ballot paper at the request of the farmers of the area.[3] However, it soon became known that she was a candidate in the 2019 elections again with the Hellenic Solution party in the prefecture of East Attica, an area with which she has no connection. And there, she came second, with 2,151 votes, behind the MP who was eventually elected.[4] The party President's entourage has let it leak that her success is due to the fact that her surname, starting from the first letter of the Greek alphabet, is first on the ballot paper. Others claim that it is more likely to be due to "methods of Velopoulos and his close core of associates" [3]
Her election was a great surprise, as until then she was completely unknown not only in the prefecture of Evros, where she ran, but also in Alexandroupolis, the city where she lives and works. [5] [3] Politico ranked her in the list of the kookiest MEPs. [6]
References
edit- ^ "'I don't know how this happened,' says elderly MEP elected with far-right party | eKathimerini.com". Ekathimerini. 11 June 2024. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Η Γαλάτω Αλεξανδράκη είδε φως και μπήκε". ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ. June 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c Σταύρος Τζίμας. "Ευρωεκλογές 2024: Πώς έφτασε η κυρα-Γαλάτω στην Ευρωβουλή" ["European Elections 2024: How Ms. Galato got to the European Parliament"]. Καθημερινή (in Greek). Αθήνα.
- ^ "Κοροϊδεύει όλους ο Π.Παπαδάκης; Καμιά αναφορά στην 76χρονη Γαλάτω Αλεξανδράκη, την "αόρατη" εκλεγμένη Εβρίτισσα Ευρωβουλευτή τους (ΒΙΝΤΕΟ)". June 10, 2024.
- ^ "Γαλάτω Αλεξανδράκη: «Μπήκα για να βοηθήσω, δεν το περίμενα» - Η νεοεκλεγμένη ευρωβουλευτής της Ελληνικής Λύσης στις πρώτες δηλώσεις της on camera". www.naftemporiki.gr. June 11, 2024.
- ^ "The 23 kookiest MEPs heading to the European Parliament". POLITICO. June 14, 2024.