Former Greek minister Stefanos Manos dies at 86 or 87 after decades in politics

Death announced

Former Greek minister Stefanos Manos died on Saturday, 15 August 2026, after several years of serious health problems. Sources disagree on his age at death: two outlets report he was 87, while two others give his age as 86. Manos served as a member of parliament for more than three decades and held multiple ministerial portfolios across three governments.

Early life and education

Born in Athens on 20 December 1939, Manos was the son of Alexandros Manos, a surgeon and former director of the Evangelismos hospital, and Marietta Panoutsou, a businesswoman and daughter of a former president of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV). He studied mechanical engineering at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and earned an MBA from Harvard University. Before entering politics, he spent several years in the business sector.

Parliamentary and ministerial career

Manos was first elected to parliament in 1977 with the New Democracy party and was re-elected continuously through 2007, with the exception of the 1985 and November 1989 elections. He held government positions under the premierships of Karamanlis, Rallis, and Mitsotakis.

His ministerial appointments spanned several departments. He served as undersecretary of Public Works and then as Minister of Spatial Planning, Settlement and Environment from 1977 to 1980. Under the Rallis government, he took the Industry and Energy portfolio from 1980 to 1981. In the Mitsotakis government, he was Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Public Works from 1990 to 1991, then Minister of National Economy in 1992, and finally Minister of Finance from 1992 to 1993.

As minister, he reformed the Plaka district of Athens, signed the METRO construction contract, contributed to the planning of the Attiki Odos highway, established a withdrawal scheme for polluting vehicles, and relocated the gas factory from central Athens to Elefsina.

Party leadership

In 1999, Manos founded the party The Liberals, whose emblem was a "raging bull." The party ran independently in the June 1999 European elections and cooperated with New Democracy in the 2000 national elections. In 2009, he co-founded the political party Action, which subsequently participated in elections either independently or in coalition.

Tributes

Minister of State Akis Skertsos posted a tribute on Facebook, praising Manos's approach to public life.

“To engage in politics without seeking to be liked but to be constantly useful as an active and rational citizen. This is, for me, the political legacy of Stefanos Manos. We bid him farewell with respect, sorrow but also gratitude for the distinct trajectory he charted in public affairs until the end. Sincere condolences to his family.”

Manos was awarded the title of Knight of the Legion of Honour by the President of the French Republic. He was married and had five children. Until recent years, he regularly commented on political and economic developments.