Greek Parliament to suspend work for a week in honor of Fofi Gennimata
Fofi Gennimata, the leader of Movement for Change (KINALPASOK) died at 12:04 Monday noon hospital Evangelismos announced. Gennimata had been battling cancer for over a decade and was hospitalized two weeks ago.
Monday morning media reported that her health condition had deteriorated. She had reportedly fell in ischemic shock of the liver over night. Despite the doctors’ efforts, her health condition was irreversible.
Gennimata was admitted to hospital on October 11 with ileus, and recurrence of her primary cancer, the hospital had announced. According to media reports she had multiple metastasis in the abdomen.
She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008.
The tragedy is that both her parents died of cancer. Her father Giorgos Gennimatas was founded member of PASOK and as a minister he reconstructed the Greek health system.
The political world but also the society independently from political ideologies are in shock from the death of a very dynamic woman. Although her health condition was more or less known, nobody could believe on such a sudden death.
She was active in politics since the times at university and was elected leader of KINAL/PASOK since 2014 She was the only woman ever to lead the socialist party in Greece.
The six candidates for the KINAL leadership, after she announced that she was withdrawing from politics, are only men.
Fofi Gennimata leaves behind a husband and three children.
A minute of silence was held at the Greek Parliament an hour after her death and the Prime Minister canceled his scheduled tour to Dodecanese returning to Athens.
The Greek parliament will suspend its sessions for the whole as a token of respect in memory of Fofi Gennimata, as the Speaker of Parliament Costas Tassoulas announced after consultation with the Prime Minister and the parties.
“Today’s plenary session begins and ends in the depressing shadow of the announcement of the passing of Fofi Gennimata, President of the Movement for Change and a distinguished parliamentarian,” said Mr. Tassoulas, opening the brief plenary session to add “The grief and heartbreak we all feel faithfully represents the Greek people as a whole, forcing us to decide in principle to suspend the work of parliament this week as a minimum sign of respect for her memory.”
“Fofi Gennimata, leader of PASOK since 2015 and KINAL since 2017, served with dedication important ministries under the direction of George Papandreou, Loukas Papadimos, and Antonis Samaras. She served in the local government as mayor of Athens and was elected MP many times, always having the popular support of the public.”
Meanwhile, flowers were laid on Monday afternoon, in the chair where the president of the Movement for Change, was seated.
The deputies who were inside the Plenary Hall of the Parliament observed a minute of silence for the death of Fofi Gennimata.