After a brief two-day absence in the USA, Kyriakos Mitsotakis will once again be at his office this morning at the Maximos Mansion, where the main question now concerns the upcoming changes in the government structure.

It goes without saying that the entire weekend was filled with numerous phone calls and informal discussions at social gatherings and dinners regarding the prime minister’s intentions, although the flow of information was rather limited. In any case, Mr. Mitsotakis’ associates are also expecting more clarity today, with government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis having placed the timing of the changes on Thursday, immediately after the formal election of Konstantinos Kyranakis as secretary of New Democracy on Wednesday afternoon.

It is also considered certain that the changes and their character will reignite discussion about the timing of elections, as more and more people are not “betting” that the prime minister will hold elections in April and instead expect autumn. Of course, Mr. Mitsotakis has repeatedly shown that he sticks to his own view, despite omens and seemingly logical assessments.

The transfer of Marinakis

A key question that remains to be answered is what will happen to Pavlos Marinakis, who is a leading candidate to move to the Ministry of Transport instead of Mr. Kyranakis. According to information from ProtoThema, Mr. Marinakis had already spoken about this with Mr. Mitsotakis last week, although over the weekend Mr. Mitsotakis reportedly sent a message from the USA that he will not proceed with changes in a functional Maximos Mansion structure unless he finds a succession plan.

However, the transfer of Mr. Marinakis to the Ministry of Transport serves several political and communicative purposes, as he is a politician of the new generation, with political weight and a positive profile as government spokesperson, and could be called to take over a portfolio with immediate deliverables in both the railway system and urban transport.

Government spokesperson or strengthening the Maximos Mansion?

If Mr. Marinakis moves from the Maximos Mansion to Cholargos, which is also within his electoral district — the North Athens sector — the scenarios for Maximos are twofold. The first is to appoint another government spokesperson, and the second is to choose a broader scheme for strengthening the Prime Minister’s office, from which Giorgos Mylonakis is already absent due to health issues.

A simple solution — which Mr. Mitsotakis has not yet finalized — would be to find a politically experienced government spokesperson. In this case, one possible figure could be Alexandra Sdoukou, while the name of Tasos Hatzivasileiou has also been mentioned as someone entering the government.

The case of Sdoukou has several advantages, as she had been designated for the Athens A constituency but has not run with preference votes and could, by joining the State Deputies list of New Democracy, remain spokesperson even during the pre-election period, when parliamentary candidates face restrictions on appearances. By contrast, Mr. Hatzivasileiou is elected in Serres, from where he is not being moved.

Among the scenarios discussed in recent days is also the name of Deputy Minister of Health Eirini Agapidaki, who is also heading toward a preference vote in West Athens (B’ Athens sector), while the case of Deputy Finance Minister Giorgos Kotsiras is also being discussed as a possible “swing” figure, either for the Maximos Mansion or for Transport.

In case Mr. Mitsotakis opts for a more complex structure, the transfer of Takis Theodorikakos into a coordinating role within the Maximos Mansion is also being considered, possibly with the title of Minister of State.

There are supporters of this view within the government, as the departure of Marinakis would create a political gap in Maximos. In this scenario, there could also be a figure as government spokesperson or deputy spokesperson, such as Sdoukou, and of course a person would need to be found for the Ministry of Development. Therefore, the changes may be more extensive. However, a senior government source estimates that the changes will likely be limited.

The new entrants

In any case, Tasos Hatzivasileiou will enter the government, and the easiest path is the portfolio of European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with responsibility for preparing the Greek EU presidency.

Also, in place of the late Nikos Tagaras as Deputy Minister for Environment, there is strong talk of civil engineer, MP of Fthiotida and former mayor of Lamia, Giorgos Kotronias. Notably, Mr. Kotronias was among the 50 signatures in 2015 supporting Mitsotakis’ candidacy for the leadership of New Democracy. However, the final decision for this position is still pending from the prime minister.