trade unionmovement andherpoliticaljourneybegan. Macbeth where sheappearedin classicplaysincludingShakespeare’s she returnedto Greecein1955.Duringaperiodofhercareer Soon after, Mercouri left for where she lived and acted until production of ’ breakthrough performance was as production of EugeneO’Neill’s in 1944, sheplayedElectratheNationalTheatreofGreece’s celebrated actors.A yearaftergraduatingfromdramaschool Before thispoliticalepiphany, Melinawasoneof ’s most that tookcontrolof Greeceafteramilitarycoupin1967. playing a four decadesbefore shebecameactivelyinvolvedin politics, mayor of Mercouris, and her grandfather, Spyros Mercouris, who had been her father, UnitedDemocraticLeftpartyMinisterStamatis Amalia ‘Melina’ Mercouri seemed destined to Born into a and champion ofculture(1920-1994) Melina Mercouri: andAnouilh’s . This would prove to be the case but it leading role in the struggle against the colonels’ junta prominent Athenian family on L’Alouette

© The Melina Mercouri Foundation Mourning BecomesElectra , shejoinedthetheatreactors’ especially thecreationof EuropeanCapitalCultureinitiative. in her roleasachampionofGreekandEuropeanculturehadmanyachievements, a democracy wasrestoredin 1974,Mercourireturnedtoherhomelandbegin campaigning aroundtheworld for theremoval of thecolonels’junta.After politicised by the 1967coupd’état in Greeceandspentthefollowing years film star with her award-winning performance in Mercouri was a campaigning for theprotectionandpromotionof cultureasapolitician. life, to fightingthefascistjuntathattookcontrolofGreecein1967and to everything shedid;fromgracingstageandscreenin theearlypartofher The Greek actorandpoliticianMelinaMercouribrought a fire and passion

Blanche Dubois in political career. She became Greece’s longest serving Minister of A Streetcar NamedDesire 18 October 1920, Maria 18 October 1920, Maria go into politics like leading theatre actor in

took over the 1949 Actor, politician EU Pioneers . Her . continued campaigningagainst thejuntauntilit fell in 1974. attempt in Genoa,Italy, but Mercouriremainedundeterredand of the colonels.Thisoutspoken oppositionledto anassassination the situationin Greeceandcallingfor theisolationandremoval to campaign against the dictatorship, spreading awareness about Throughout thejunta’s 7-yearrule,Melinatravelledextensively and he’lldiea fascist”. ”I revoked by Pattakos as aresult.Herfamousripostetothiswas movement to overthrow thejuntaandhadherGreekcitizenship became oneof themostprominentleadersexpatriate Makarezos, seizedpower in Greeceacoupd’état. Mercourisoon andColonelsGeorgePapadopoulos andNikolaos that a groupofright-wingarmyofficers,ledby Brigadier General on Broadway. It wasduring thistheatre runin New York, on April in 1960. Shereprisedtherole1967stageversion international acclaimin theroleofIliaOscarnominated Mercouri’s film careertook off in thelate 1950s and she found was born a Greek and I’ll die a Greece before becoming an , winning the Best Actress award at “Never on Greek. Pattakos was born a Sunday”. She became Sunday”. She became international international Culture and Culture and Cannes fascist fascist 21, 21,

EN After democracy was restored, Mercouri returned to Greece where Mercouri’s involvement and influence in Europe deepened in 1988 she helped to form the Pan Hellenic Socialist Party (PASOK), and during the second Greek presidency of the Council when she became actively involved in the country’s women’s movement. began campaigning for dialogue and cooperation with the She became a member of the party’s Central Committee and countries of at a time of great upheaval. As the was being elected to Parliament in 1977 with the highest number Cold War ended and the Iron Curtain was destroyed, Mercouri of votes in the whole of Greece. After this victory, she devoted was a leading instigator of the European Cultural Month initiative, all her energy to politics and culture. which launched in 1990 and focussed on central and eastern European countries in particular. When her party won the 1981 elections, Mercouri was appointed Minister of Culture, a post she held for 8 years, during which time Mercouri continued to act on stage in the early 1990s while she brought the culture portfolio to the forefront of Greek politics. remaining as a member of parliament. When PASOK returned Her achievements as Minister of Culture transformed her country: to power in 1993, Mercouri returned to the Ministry of Culture, from the integration of the archaeological sites of Athens into where she focused on establishing links between culture and a traffic-free area, to introducing free access to museums and education at all levels. archaeological sites for Greek citizens as part of an overall education effort. She launched the campaign for the return of the Melina Mercouri died on 6 March 1994. She left behind her marbles on display in the and, husband, the film director , with whom she worked unsurprisingly, she actively championed Greek theatre and cinema. regularly throughout her acting career.

One of her greatest achievements was the establishment of the European Capitals of Culture, with Athens chosen as the first capital in 1985. This followed a meeting she organised with the Culture Ministers of the ten EU Member States during the first Greek presidency of the Council in 1983. Pointing out that although there was no reference to cultural issues in the , which established the European Economic Community (the forerunner of the EU), Mercouri encouraged the other ministers to join her in efforts to increase cultural awareness across Europe. This was the first of what would become regular meetings between Europe’s Ministers of Culture, which still continue.