Greece elects first woman president

Sakellaropoulou was the head of Greece's top administrative court. [Eurokinissi/AFP / Vassilis Rempapis]

Greece's parliament on Wednesday elected the first woman president in the country's history, a senior judge with an expertise in environmental and constitutional law.

A cross-party majority of 261 MPs voted in favour of 63-year-old Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou, parliament chief Costas Tassoulas said.