Greek lawmakers have elected a former parliament speaker and leading advocate for the return of the disputed Parthenon sculptures from the British Museum as the country’s new president. Constantine Tassoulas, 65, was elected with 160 votes in the 300-member parliament Wednesday in the third round of voting for the largely ceremonial post. He takes over from Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the first woman to serve as Greece's head of state, who was not nominated for a second five-year term. A lawyer by trade, Tassoulas is also a member of the governing center-right New Democracy party and served as culture minister a decade ago, helping reinvigorate Greece’s campaign to reclaim the 2,500-year-old Parthenon sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles.
