Manolis Glezos

Manolis Glezos, born on September ninth, nineteen twenty-two, was a prominent Greek left-wing politician, journalist, author, and resistance fighter. He is best known for his courageous act during World War II when he, alongside Lakis Santas, famously removed the Nazi flag from the Acropolis, symbolizing defiance against the Axis occupation of Greece.

Following the war, Glezos transitioned into journalism, editing influential left-wing newspapers such as Rizospastis and I Avgi. His political career was marked by multiple terms as a Member of the Greek Parliament from nineteen fifty-one to twenty fourteen, representing three different constituencies. He was also elected to the European Parliament twice, first in nineteen eighty-four and again in twenty fourteen, making history as the oldest member at the age of ninety-one.

Glezos's political journey was fraught with challenges; his strong leftist beliefs and involvement with the Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) led to him being sentenced to death three times. His activism resulted in over fifteen years of imprisonment and exile, with his legal battles capturing international attention until his release in nineteen seventy-one.

After the restoration of democracy in nineteen seventy-four, he resumed his political activities, leading the United Democratic Left (EDA) from nineteen eighty-one to nineteen eighty-nine and later becoming a founding member of Synaspismos. In twenty fifteen, amidst the Greek debt crisis, he split from Syriza to form Popular Unity, although this new party did not succeed in the subsequent elections.

Throughout his seven-decade-long career, Glezos became an icon of the Greek Resistance, earning numerous international accolades. His legacy is cemented not only by his political achievements but also by his unwavering commitment to his ideals, earning him the nickname 'The First Partisan' from Charles de Gaulle.