One of Greece’s top judges has become the nation’s first female president.

Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou was elected to the largely ceremonial post after her nomination by the ruling conservative party was backed by 261 ministers of parliament in the 300-member Parliament - a rare display of unity in Greece’s fractious politics.

The 63-year-old expert in environmental and constitutional law will succeed Prokopis Pavlopoulos, whose five-year term expires in March. Sakellaropoulou will take her oath of office on March 13.

Sakellaropoulou, from the northern city of Xanthi, was also the first woman to head the Council of State, Greece"s top administrative court, taking on that role in 2018 with the support at the time of the government led by the left-wing Syriza party, which lost power to New Democracy in an election in July last year.

The daughter of a Supreme Court judge, Sakellaropoulou completed her postgraduate studies at Paris"s Sorbonne university.