Vasilis Leventis (1951 – 2026)

Their Story

Vasilis Leventis was a Greek politician and leader of the Union of Centrists party since 1992, serving as a Member of Parliament from 2015 to 2019. Born in Messenia, he participated as a student at the National Technical University of Athens in the anti-dictatorship resistance, and after democracy was restored in 1974, he became a founding member of PASOK. Growing political disagreements with PASOK's direction led him to help establish several centrist political initiatives, with the Union of Centrists in 1992 being the most significant. His political views emphasized rational, transparent policies opposed to corruption, support for vulnerable social groups, and hostility to concentrated power. For many years, Leventis remained outside Parliament but maintained a strong public presence through television appearances and regular political commentary. His persistence was vindicated in the September 2015 parliamentary elections, when the Union of Centrists secured 3.43% of the vote and elected nine MPs, including Leventis himself, who entered parliament for the first time after 23 years.