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Sokratis Kosmidis (Σωκράτης Κοσμίδης) is a Greek lawyer and politician who served as Secretary-General of the Government as well as as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of Greek politics.

Biography
Sokratis Kosmidis was born in Piraeus to Ioannis Kosmidis, a shoemaker, and to his wife Eleni (née Lolosidou). He studied Law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He is married to Domniki Kosmidou, and has two children, Ioanna and Nikolaos. He currently resides in Voula.

Law Career
Sokratis Kosmidis worked as a Lawyer for 25 years (1968 -1993). During this time, Kosmidis served the following positions in his home city of Piraeus: From 1975-1978, he was Director and Columnist of the newspaper 'Piraeus Echoes' (Πειραϊκοί Αντίλαλοι); From 1984-1987, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Piraeus Lawyer Associaton; From 1982-1989, he was President of the Board of Directors of the Insurance Fund for Maritime Agents and Employees.

Following his two-year-long work in the Ministry of Commerce, Kosmidis returned to practice Law for a few months, before retiring from Law altogether.

Political Career
In 1993, Kosmidis was recruited by Minister of Commerce Costas Simitis to the Ministry of Commerce. He was Secretary-General of the Ministry of Commerce for two years, before returning to practice Law. After working as a Lawyer for a few more months, he was recruited yet again, this time to become Secretary-General of the Ministry of Public Order. After 7 months, however, he was asked to become Secretary-General of the Ministerial Council by now Prime Minister Costas Simitis, a position which he immediately accepted and held for 8 years. In 2003, Kosmidis proposed that the name of the office be changed to 'Secretary-General of the Government', which it did, and it remains the same to this day.

Kosmidis is known to have been one of few very close associates of Prime Minister Costas Simitis. He had a particularly great influence on him.

In 2004, when Simitis left the office of Prime Minister, Kosmidis, now a prominent member of the PASOK party, became a Member of Parliament, a position which he held for 3 years, before retiring.

Works
Sokratis Kosmidis has authored several successful books, including:

Απάνθισμα άρθρων και σχολίων (1981)

Collection of Articles and Comments (1981)

Αυτό το κράτος μπορεί να διοικηθή;  (1996)

''Can this state manage? (1996)''

Πολιτική για το φάρμακο (2002)

Drug Policy (2002)

Μια <<αχρείαστη>> Συνταγματική Αναθεώρηση (2007)

An unnecessary Constitutional Revision (2007)

Εκσυγχρονισμός και μεταρρυθμίσεις (2010)

Modernization and Reforms (2010)