New Democracy politician Georgios Souflias has died at age 85

Georgios Souflias, a prominent member of the New Democracy party and a former senior government minister in Greece, has died at the age of 85. Throughout his political career, he held various ministerial portfolios within New Democracy administrations. Souflias was a notable figure who twice contended for the party leadership, first in 1996 against Miltiadis Evert and again in 1997 against Kostas Karamanlis. Although he was re-elected as a member of parliament for the Larissa constituency in 2009, he subsequently decided to withdraw from active politics. Following his retirement, he lived a private life. Reports indicate that he had been suffering from health complications for several years prior to his death.