Antonis Manitakis, a leading Greek constitutional law scholar and former government minister, died on Wednesday at the age of 82.

The Dean’s Office of the Law School at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki announced a two-day period of mourning, with all classes suspended effective immediately.

Alongside his distinguished academic career as an emeritus professor at the university’s Law School, Manitakis served as Minister of the Interior and Minister of Administrative Reform and E-Government.

“Devastated and with unspeakable sadness, we announce to the university community the loss of the distinguished University Professor Antonis Manitakis. From today, legal science and Greek intellectual life are poorer,” the university’s rectorate said in a statement.

The Dean of the Law School, Professor Panagiotis Glavinis, described Manitakis as “a great teacher and intellectual who contributed profoundly to science, the academic community, and the country, leaving an indelible mark.”

Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas expressed condolences to Manitakis’ family and the academic community, praising his “rich scientific work and substantial contribution to public life.”

“Antonis Manitakis taught for decades, shaping generations of lawyers and cultivating respect for the Constitution, democratic institutions, and academic freedom,” the president said. “He served the country with earnestness and a strong sense of duty.”

Born in Thessaloniki in 1944, Manitakis studied law there before earning a doctorate from the University of Brussels. He was elected professor at the Aristotle University Law School in 1982 and served as dean between 1989 and 1991.

His academic career included visiting professorships at universities in Montpellier, Saint-Étienne, Paris X, Rome’s La Sapienza, and Nantes, as well as a research fellowship at Princeton University in the United States.

Manitakis authored 16 monographs and more than 130 original studies in Greek and French, in addition to his doctoral thesis.

According to media reports, he had been hospitalized in intensive care in recent days.

He is survived by his wife and two sons. His family will hold a private funeral.