Born in
Athens, Papaligouras studied law at the
University of Athens and took a Masters in Comparative European Law at
Brunel University of London (BUL). He was leader of
ONNED (the New Democracy youth organisation) from 1976 to 1977. From 1976 to 1978, he was a member of the New Democracy Executive Committee, and from 1976 to 1981 he was a member of the New Democracy Administrative Committee. He was elected MP for
Korinthia in the general elections of
1981,
1985,
1993,
1996 and
2000. Following New Democracy's victory in the
2004 parliamentary election, Papaligouras became Minister for Justice in the
new government of Prime Minister
Kostas Karamanlis on 10 March 2004. He was replaced by
Sotirios Hatzigakis in the
government sworn in on 19 September 2007. On 12 September 2008, Prime Minister
Kostas Karamanlis decided to give him the portfolio of the Ministry for Mercantile Marine and Island Policy, because of the resignation of the former Minister. He was married to Zaira Ralli, daughter of Prime Minister
Georgios Rallis, and had a daughter. Anastasios Papaligouras was the son of the right-wing politician who was appointed minister many times between 1949 and 1976 (Coordination and Plan,
Foreign Affairs,
Agriculture). Papaligouras died on 12 February 2026, at the age of 77. ==References==