People often say, “If something is destined to happen, let it happen.” And Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who has openly stated that he is not a fan of major and frequent cabinet reshuffles, followed that logic by announcing a mini-reshuffle at midday on Monday, which had originally been scheduled for Thursday.

The move surprised even his ministers, who were not prepared for the development. Perhaps the most characteristic example was the new Deputy Minister of Transport, Giorgos Kotsiras, who was in Parliament answering questions from NIKI party leader Dimitris Natsios and Course of Freedom MP Alexandros Kazamias when the announcement caught up with him. As a result, arrangements had to be made to postpone the parliamentary procedure.

The choice of Kotsiras is not illogical, considering that there had been thoughts of moving Pavlos Marinakis to that position. In his forties, low-profile, and accepted across party lines, Kotsiras is one of the newer faces in the government who has not acquired a negative image during his tenure as deputy minister in the Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, and Finance.

For the first time, Dimitris Markopoulos joins the government at the Ministry of Finance, while Marilena Soukoulis enters the Ministry of Environment. The ministry is also searching for a new Secretary General for Spatial Planning following the resignation of Thymios Bakogiannis amid the planning-permit scandal in northern Attica. Tasos Chatzivasileiou has returned after being cleared in the OPEKEPE case. More broadly, the profile of the individuals brought in indicates that Mitsotakis is choosing continuity in government policy, without deviating from its core strategy.

The key point, however, is that Mitsotakis did not alter the team at the Maximos Mansion (the Prime Minister’s Office). According to information, he never seriously considered major changes to his inner circle and had made it clear to Pavlos Marinakis that he would not be replaced unless someone of equivalent stature could be found. Marinakis is not merely the government spokesperson; he also plays a major role in shaping the government’s communications strategy and has expanded responsibilities within the governing circle.

Available alternatives reportedly did not satisfy the prime minister, who is heading into the final stretch before the elections with the same advisory team. Naturally, when the time comes, he will have to change spokespersons because election regulations affect Marinakis, who will be a candidate in the northern sector of Athens’ Second Electoral District. Until then, however, Mitsotakis does not want to take unnecessary risks.

The timing of the elections

Government sources link the limited cabinet changes to Mitsotakis’s intention to complete the government’s full term and remain in office until spring 2027. Of course, this is no longer set in stone, and those who speak regularly with the prime minister are aware of that.

In other words, Mitsotakis is also evaluating the option of holding elections in the autumn, but he is not expected to make that decision now because key information is still missing. One question is how the wildfire season will unfold, while it also remains to be seen what the economic situation will look like heading into winter, given developments related to the war. By the end of the summer, the conditions will be more suitable for making decisions.

Against this backdrop, sources with excellent knowledge of the prime minister’s thinking report that his main concern was not to disrupt something that is functioning well—the communications structure at the Maximos Mansion—while making the government changes that circumstances required.

Until then, the government continues its work as normal. Today, Mitsotakis is speaking at the central event highlighting the achievements of the Gov.gr platform during its six years of operation. On Wednesday, at a ceremonial meeting of New Democracy’s Political Committee, Konstantinos Kyranakis will assume the role of party secretary and will be tasked with running the party at a high pace in preparation for the upcoming elections. Kyranakis will make his debut in the role at New Democracy’s Political Academy event on Thursday at the The Met Hotel in Thessaloniki.