ATHENS, Greece, Oct 20, (AP): Vasso Papandreou, a trailblazing Greek politician who served as a government minister, European commissioner and leading advocate for women’s representation in politics, has died at her home in an Athens suburb. She was 79. No cause of death was given, but she had been in poor health for several years.

Her funeral was held Saturday outside Aegio, near the town of her birth in southern Greece, and was attended by former Socialist prime minister Costas Simitis and other veteran politicians. Politicians across party lines paid tribute to Papandreou following her death Thursday, recognizing her contributions to Greece and dedication to social justice.

"Even though we found ourselves on opposite sides, I must admit she was a strong personality ... she earned the devotion of her friends and the respect of her opponents,” said the conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Papandreou was a founding member of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement in 1974. She was unrelated to the party founder, Andreas Papandreou, but they had a brief affair in the mid-1970s, after which she left for the UK to complete her graduate studies.

She served in various ministerial positions in the Costas Simitis governments from 1996 to 2004, including minister of economic development, minister of interior, and minister for the environment, physical planning and public works. Papandreou broke barriers as Greece’s first female European Commissioner from 1989 to 1992, overseeing employment, industrial relations and social affairs in the second commission led by Jacques Delors and was admired for her strong advocacy of democratic rights.

A champion for women’s representation, Papandreou led efforts to increase female participation in Greek politics. She successfully pushed for legislation requiring 33% female representation on candidate lists, starting with municipal elections in 2002 - building a foundation for greater gender balance in Greek politics.