Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made several, but significant changes to the government’s line-up, as it emerged after the announcement of the reshuffle by government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis.
According to the list of the new government, 11 ministers and deputy ministers are being left out, four are moving to another portfolio and 11 persons are either entering for the first time or re-entering the government, having served as ministers during the first New Democracy government between 2019 and 2023.
As government sources pointed out in this regard, “the new government formation is characterised by changes and additions that indicate the priorities for the next period: Inflation, farmers and the regional government, a more efficient state for a better daily life.”
Similarly, the same sources point out that a total of three government officials will now come from Thessaly, with two of them being in the Ministry of Rural Development. “It should be noted that there are no changes in ministries such as Health, Justice and Environment and Energy where major reforms have been launched,” government officials note.
The “movers”
In the moves that are of particular importance we see Niki Kerameos taking over the Labour Ministry, leaving behind the portfolio of the Interior Ministry, which is being taken over by Thodoris Livanios who until recently was a deputy minister in the same ministry. In fact, it is noted that Mr. Livanios is the only one who is upgraded from a deputy minister to a ministerial position.
Similarly, Vassilis Spanakis, from Deputy Minister of Labour will become Deputy Minister of Interior.
In the Ministry of Finance, the position of Deputy Minister, Harris Theocharis, who is out of the government, is taken over by the former Deputy Minister of Culture, Christos Dimas.
Who is out of office
A total of 11 people have left the government, including four ministers and seven deputy ministers. The ministers who will have to continue their parliamentary duties are Kostas Skrekas, who held the post of Development Minister, Domna Michaelidou, who is leaving the Labour Ministry, Dimitris Kairidis, who is leaving the Immigration and Asylum Ministry, and Lefteris Avgenakis, from the Rural Development Ministry.
Similarly, seven deputy ministers remain outside the government:
- Haris Theocharis, from the Deputy Minister of Finance
- Stathis Konstantinidis, from Deputy Minister of Macedonia/Thrace.
- Christina Alexopoulou, from Deputy Minister of Infrastructure & Transport.
- Maximos Senetakis, from State Secretary for Development
- Maria Kefala, from State Secretary for Family Affairs
- Stavros Keletsi, State Secretary for Rural Development
- Yannis Pappas, from State Secretary for Maritime Affairs
The new additions
Of particular interest, however, are the new additions to the government, which number 11, with a total of three of them involving ministers who were in ministerial positions during the first government of the Southwest between 2019 and 2023.
These are Nikos Panagiotopoulos who will take over as Minister of Immigration and Asylum, having previously served as Minister of National Defence, Kostas Tsiaras who will take over as Minister of Rural Development, having previously served as Minister of Justice, and Takis Theodorikakis as Minister of Development, having previously served as Minister of Interior and Citizen Protection. Zoe Rapti will also become Deputy Minister of Development, while during the pandemic she was in the position of Deputy Minister of Health, responsible for Mental Health.
This leaves seven more deputy ministers who are entering the government for the first time. They are:
- Kostas Gioulekas, Deputy Minister of Macedonia/Thrace
- Vassilis Economou, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure & Transport.
- Kostas Karagounis, State Secretary for Labour
- Iason Fotilas, State Secretary for Culture
- Katerina Papakosta, State Secretary for Family Affairs
- Christos Kellas, State Secretary for Rural Development
- Stefanos Gikas, State Secretary for Maritime Affairs
Finally, another person who joins the Government for the first time, having served as Secretary General in the Parliament, is George Mylonakis, who assumes the position of Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister at the Mansion House. Commenting on this, government sources said earlier that “in the Mansion Maximou the two departures of the previous months are covered by the addition of the Prime Minister’s long-time close associate, George Mylonakis. This is a purely political choice, while the Prime Minister’s Secretary General, Stelios Koutnatzis, remains in his position with the same responsibilities.”
