The Athens Bar Association has elected a new president, Andreas Koutsolampros, in a vote widely interpreted as a rejection of recent government initiatives in the justice sector. In Monday’s second-round elections, Koutsolampros, running as an independent, won decisively with 61.29 percent of the vote, securing 5,886 ballots. His opponent, Dimitris Anastasopoulos, who had the backing of Greece’s ruling New Democracy party, received 3,717 votes, or 38.71 percent. The result marked a significant turnaround from the first round, where Anastasopoulos had finished ahead.
In his victory remarks, Koutsolampros thanked his colleagues for their trust and said the result belonged «to all lawyers». He emphasized that the Athens Bar Association, the largest professional body in Greece, must move forward «with unity, cooperation, and systematic work», adding that the divisiveness and toxicity of the campaign period should now be put aside. He committed to defending democratic institutions, the rule of law, and individual and social rights, and vowed to serve as president for all lawyers, regardless of their political background or first-round choices.
Anastasopoulos responded to the outcome by accusing unnamed political networks of orchestrating a smear campaign against him. He said he and his team had «stood tall against slander and defamation», and argued that entrenched interests were responsible for labeling his candidacy partisan or government-aligned. Although he did not achieve his electoral goal, he insisted that his faction had strengthened its position within the Bar Association’s governing council and would continue to advocate for the profession. Stepping down after three consecutive terms, as required by law, he expressed gratitude to the colleagues with whom he had worked over the past eleven years, describing his service as an honor that had shaped him «as a lawyer and as a person».
