Curriculum Vitae

Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship

Dimitris Avramopoulos is the European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship since November 2014.

Before becoming European Commissioner, Mr. Avramopoulos was Minister of National Defence of Greece (two terms), Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Tourism Development, Minister of Health and Social Solidarity and Mayor of Athens (two terms). He was elected Member of the Parliament several times with the “New Democracy” party (1993, 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2012). 

Mr. Avramopoulos served in the Diplomatic Service of Greece from 1980 until 1993. He was Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Director of the Diplomatic Cabinet of the Greek Prime Minister and Consul of Greece in Liège (Belgium) and in Geneva (Switzerland). 

Mr. Avramopoulos completed his studies at the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences at the University of Athens and his postgraduate studies on International Organisation at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). He is Honorary Professor of the State Academy of Technological Sciences of Moscow and of Peking University (Beijing), and Honorary Doctor of ADELPHI University (New York), DREXEL University (Philadelphia), KINGSTON University, European College of Parma (Italy) and DEREE College (Athens).

Mr. Avramopoulos has been bestowed awards and state decorations from many countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Vatican, Venezuela, Yugoslavia and Lebanon. 

He is married to Vivian and has two sons, Filippos and Iasonas.

I. Political Career

1980-1993: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Athens).
1980-1981: Diplomatic Academy of MFA.
1981-1983: Central Administration of MFA.
1983-1988: Consul of Greece in Liège (Belgium).
1989-1991: Special Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the “New Democracy” Political Party Costas Mitsotakis.
1990-1991: Diplomatic Advisor to the Prime Minister Costas Mitsotakis.
1991-1992: Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (ECSC / Vienna). 
1992: Official Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens (MFA).
1992-1993: Consul General of Greece to Geneva (Switzerland).
1993: Director of the Diplomatic Cabinet of the Prime Minister of Greece, Costas Mitsotakis.

III.  Actual Occupations

Since January 2003: Honorary President of the Athens’ International Prize for Democracy, under the auspices of UNESCO (Paris).
Chairman of the Steering Committee of the “Cities´ Diplomacy”, established by the Glocal Forum (Rome) and the World Bank Institute (Washington D.C.).
President of the “World Institute of Glocal and Cities’ Diplomacy”, an independent NGO having its venue in Rome.
Executive President and lifelong honor president of the “World Union of Olympic Cities”, an NGO, according to the Olympic Charter, recognized by the IOC (Lausanne).

IV. Academic Degrees

1978: Bachelor of Arts in Public Law and Political Science from the Law School of Athens’ University.
1979-1980: Postgraduate Specialisation Course on International Organisation (Boston University / Brussels).
1986: Special lisence on European Studies (Institute of European Affairs of the “Université Libre de Bruxelles” (Brussels).
1995: Honorary Doctor of ADELPHI University (New York).
1997: Honorary Doctor of DEREE College (Athens).
2000: Honorary Doctor of DREXEL University (Philadelphia).
2000: Honorary Doctor of KINGSTON University
2002: Honorary Professor of the State Academy of Technological Sciences of Moscow.
2002: Honorary Professor of Peking University (Beijing).
2003: Visiting Fellow, at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Institute of Politics, Harvard University. 
2016: Honorary Doctor of European College of Parma (Italy).
Lecturer at Stanford University, Columbia University, Simon Fraser University (SFU) & University of South Florida.

V. Honorary Distinctions and Awards

He has been bestowed awards and state decorations from many countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Vatican, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Lebanon as well as from the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinopolis, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria.

He has been awarded the “Grand Cross of the Order of the Phoenix” of the Hellenic Republic.
He has also been bestowed, in 2006, the “Vincitore Assoluto” Award of the Premio Internazionale “Giuseppe Sciacca”.
He has been presented with highest distinctions from many foreign cities and Municipalities: Famagusta, Barcelona, Beijing, Beirut, Berlin, Boston, Brooklyn N.Y., Bucharest, Caracas, Chicago, Florence, Genova, Jakarta, Havana, Istanbul, Kiev, Krotone, Ljubljana, Los Angeles, Miami -Florida, Massachusetts, Montreal, Moscow, New Jersey, New York, Nicosia, Paris, Philadelphia, Providence, Rhode Island, Rome, Sofia, State of Illinois, Sydney, Tbilisi, Tirana, Toronto, Valletta, Washington D.C., Xian, Yerevan.
He has also been bestowed the Honorary Citizenship of 40 Greek cities.

VI. Personal Information

Born in Athens in 1953.
Military service in the Greek Air Force (1978-1980).
Married to Vivian, two sons, Filippos and Iasonas.
Fluent in English, French and Italian.