Kostas Koligiannis

Kostas Koligiannis (Greek: Κώστας Κολιγιάννης, 1909 - September 5, 1979) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in exile, from 1956 until 1972.

Born in Ellopia, Boeotia, he studied Law at the University of Athens, and was an active participant in the Greek Civil War of 1946-49, especially in the region of Epirus.

He became leader of the KKE in 1956, with backing from Khrushchev as a supporter of De-Stalinization, although most party members at the time were actually supporters of maintaining the previous political line. He led the party until 1972.

He died in Budapest, Hungary, in 1979.

General Secretaries of the Communist Party of Greece

Nikos Dimitratos ^§(1918–22) Yannis Kordatos ^§(1922) Nikos Sargologos ^§(1922–23) Thomas Apostolidis ^§(1923–24) Pandelis Pouliopoulos (1924–25) Eleftherios Stavridis (1925–26) Pastias Giatsopoulos (1926–27) Andronikos Chaitas (1927–31) Nikos Zachariadis (1931–56) Andreas Tsipas ^‡(1941) Georgios Siantos ^‡(1942–45) Apostolos Grozos (1956) Kostas Koligiannis (1956–72) Charilaos Florakis (1972–89) Grigoris Farakos (1989–91) Aleka Papariga (1991–2013) Dimitris Koutsoumpas (since 2013)

^§ Leaders of the Socialist Labour Party of Greece (SEKE) ^‡ Acting Secretary in the absence of the imprisoned Zachariadis

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