Constantine Karamanlis was a four-time Prime Minister and two-time President of the Third Hellenic Republic, and a towering figure in Greek politics for much of the 20th century. He is credited with overseeing the country's transition from a military dictatorship to a stable democracy after the fall of the junta in 1974. Karamanlis also spearheaded Greece's accession to the European Communities, a move that defined the nation's modern trajectory. His political legacy includes founding the New Democracy party, which remains a major force in Greek politics to this day.