Katerina Sakellaropoulou to be Greece’s first female president

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Top judge Katerina Sakellaropoulou

became Greece’s first woman President on Wednesday when lawmakers elected her head of state in a rare display of unity.

Sakellaropoulou

, 64, has been President of the Council of State , Greece’s top administrative court. She will succeed Prokopis Pavlopoulos , whose five-year term expires in March.

In an unusual demonstration of harmony in the fractious world of Greek politics , the conservative party nominee was backed by opposition parties, including the leftist Syriza party which lost power in an election last July.

She was backed by 261 MPs in the 300-member parliament.

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