12 Facts About Marika Mitsotakis

Marika Mitsotakis was the wife of the former Prime Minister of Greece Konstantinos Mitsotakis.

Marika Mitsotakis was regarded as a prominent political voice with the New Democracy political party, her husband's government, and Greek politics.

Marika Mitsotakis contracted poliomyelitis at a swimming pool when she was seventeen years old.

Marika Mitsotakis survived the illness, but lived with a walking disability for the rest of her life.

Marika Mitsotakis married Konstantinos Mitsotakis, member of a political family from Crete, in 1953.

Marika Mitsotakis served as the Spouse of the Prime Minister from 1990 to 1993 during her husband's tenure as head of government.

In 1990, soon after taking office, Prime Minister Marika Mitsotakis made his first appearance in the Greek parliament.

Marika Mitsotakis was widely regarded as an excellent cook in Greek political circles, leading to an urban legend that she used her culinary skills to influence politics.

Political opponents of Konstantinos Marika Mitsotakis accused her of using food to persuade two members of the Communist Party of Greece to join a 1989 coalition government with the conservatives with the purpose of pursuing corruption charges against Andreas Papandreou.

Marika Mitsotakis used the urban legend to write, publish and market her 2011 best-selling cookbook, Recipes With a Bit of History published in English in 2012 with the title Recipes of Love.

Marika Mitsotakis died at the Evgenidion Hospital in Athens on May 6,2012, at the age of 81.

Marika Mitsotakis was survived by her husband and their four children, thirteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.