The academic and former minister, Antonis Manitakis, has passed away
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Antonis Manitakis, the emeritus professor of the Faculty of Law at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and former minister, has passed away at the age of 82. A two-day period of mourning has been declared at the Faculty of Law.
- 18 Φεβρουαρίου 2026 17:16
Manitakis, who also served as Minister of the Interior and Minister for Administrative Reform and Electronic Governance, passed away after being hospitalized in intensive care during the last few days.
The news of his death was announced by the University Authorities of Aristotle University and the Deanery of the Faculty of Law. “With great sorrow, we announce the loss of the distinguished University Teacher, Antonis Manitakis. From today, legal science and Greek intellectual life are poorer,” the announcement from the University Authorities stated.
A two-day mourning period was declared by the Deanery of the Faculty of Law, which also announced the suspension of all classes at the School with immediate effect.
A Private Farewell
“The Faculty of Law mourns today the loss of a great teacher and intellectual, who contributed immensely to the science, the academic community, and the country, leaving an indelible mark,” said Panagiotis Glavinis, the Dean of the Faculty of Law of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in a statement to the press.
“The family will say their goodbyes in a private setting, while we, his colleagues, students, and friends, will bid him farewell at his second home, the Faculty of Law of Aristotle University, tomorrow, Thursday at 19:00 in Room 112,” Glavinis added.
About Antonis Manitakis
Antonis Manitakis was born in 1944 in Thessaloniki and studied at the Faculty of Law at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He earned his doctorate in law from the University of Brussels and in 1982 was appointed as a professor at the Faculty of Law of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He succeeded Aristovoulos Manesis in the chair of Constitutional Law and became an emeritus professor in 2012.
He served as the Dean of the Faculty of Law and Economic Sciences between 1989-1991 and was a visiting professor at various international universities, including Montpellier, Sain-Etienne Paris X, Rome “La Sapienza” (Italy), and Nantes. He was also a Visiting Research Fellow at Princeton University in 1998-99.
In 2007, Manitakis was awarded a prize for excellent university teaching by the President of the Republic. He also served as Deputy Chairman of the National Council for Radio and Television between 1997-1999, as well as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the National Commission for Human Rights between 2010-2012. He founded and managed the website of the “Manesis” group, which functions as a scientific journal: www.constitutionalism.gr
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He published 16 monographs and 130 original studies in both Greek and French, along with his doctoral dissertation. Some of his most notable works include “Constitutional Law, I,” “The Relations of the Church with the State-Nation” (Nefeli, 2000), “The European Constitution Faced with National and Popular Sovereignty” (Papazisis, 2004), and several others.
He served as the caretaker Minister of the Interior in the government of Panagiotis Pikrammenos from May 17 to June 21, 2012, and was appointed Minister for Administrative Reform and Electronic Governance in the government of Antonis Samaras, a position he resigned from on June 24, 2013. He was later appointed Minister of the Interior in the caretaker government of Vassiliki Thanou from August 28 to September 23, 2015.
