ATHENS – Dimtris Tsovolas, a lawyer and former socialist minister, passed away on February 25 at the age of 79 after a battle with cancer, Kathimerini reported.

Tsovolas served as finance minister in the PASOK government of Andreas Papandreou from 1985 to 1989, and also represented his native Arta and northern Athens in Parliament as an MP.

In October 1995, he left PASOK and on December 20 of that year, he founded the Democratic Social Movement.
He left politics after 2004 to focus exclusively on his law practice.

Tsovolas was born in Melissourgoi, a village outside Arta, Epirus, in 1942. He studied law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Tsovolas is survived by his wife, Katerina Gioti, and their two children.