New president, new cabinet [InTime News] | Constantine CapsaskisNewsletter Editor |
Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. Following the swearing-in of new President of the Hellenic Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a cabinet reshuffle. Tasoulas was sworn in as the ninth President of the Republic on Thursday, however two parties (namely, Zoi Konstantopoulou’s Course for Freedom and right-wing Greek Solution) decided to abstain from the proceedings in protest at the perceived break from tradition with his nomination, as the government did not seek cross-party consensus. The following day, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a cabinet reshuffle as his government continues to grapple with lingering unrest and a polling decline over its handling of the Tempe rail tragedy. Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis was appointed as deputy prime minister, with oversight over all of the government’s economic policy and infrastructure projects, with Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who had been serving as Education Minister, replacing him. Pierrakakis, aged 41, is just one of the new generation of New Democracy MPs set to assume enhanced responsibilities. Giannis Kefalogiannis, 42, will take over the Civil Protection ministry, Christos Dimas, 45, will lead the Infrastructure Ministry, Konstantinos Kyranakis, 38, was appointed deputy minister of transport, while Domna Michailidou, 38, returns as minister for social cohesion and family affairs. This reflects a wider theme of the reshuffle as an effort to bring in a generational renewal and refresh his administration. The move can also be seen as an effort by the government to boost its appeal with the key 17-34 demographic, where the party is lagging and is currently polling at the same level as the much smaller Course of Freedom party. There were a total of four ministers left out completely in the rotation, including Nikos Panagiotopoulos, who was serving as minister for migration and had formerly been at the Defense Ministry (2019-2023), and Christos Stylaniadis who had headed the Civil Protection ministry (2021-2023) and had been serving since 2023 as shipping minister. Other notable appointments include Makis Voridis taking over as minister of migration and Vasilis Kikilias taking over from Stylanidis as minister of shipping. However, it is worth noting that several key ministries remain unchanged. George Gerapetritis and Nikos Dendias both remained as foreign and defense ministers respectively. “We are regaining a clear horizon. This reshuffle sends a double message: Renewal and action to improve citizens’ lives. Our motto: Faster, bolder”, said the prime minister in the first meeting of the cabinet on Saturday. Mittsotakis stressed that he expected ministers to produce “tangible results”, and reminded them to be mindful with their public image. Spotlight - United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres is set to host a round of informal talks over the continued occupation of Cyprus in Geneva on March 17 and 18. Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis both received invitations to participate in the talks, alongside representatives from the Turkish Cypriot community, and officials from Turkey, and the United Kingdom. The European Union will also be present at the meeting according to a Commission spokesperson. Christodoulides has stated that his only goal is to leave the meeting with a positive result, namely the relaunching of dialogue to address the future of the island.
- Greek winemakers are bracing for disruptions and a flurry of activity as a result of the threat made by United States President Donald Trump to impose a 200% tariff on European Union alcohol exports. With the tariffs still to kick in, distributors are looking to move significant quantities of wine across the Atlantic as soon as possible. This is because the US market is one of the most important for the industry, and one in which it has invested heavily in. It is worth noting that 18% of Greece’s wine exports head to the US, at an average price of 7.03 euros per kilogram of wine (much higher when compared to the 2.75-euro average price per kilogram in Germany). There are still some winemakers who are hopeful that Greece will be spared from the tariffs, as they were during the President Trump’s first term, noting that the main targets of the president’s threats are France and Germany.
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OPINION | Tom EllisEditor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition |
A race for three [InTime News]There are three dimensions to the recent government reshuffle. The first, is the prime minister’s effort for a restart following the Tempe tragedy, with an emphasis on engaging the ruling party’s new generation. The second, which in a way runs parallel to the first, is to assemble the best possible team, in the present most difficult circumstances for the government, with an eye towards the next national elections, which will take place by mid-2027 at the latest. Finally, one can easily detect a set up for the internal battle that will unfold for the “day after”. Here, the two heavyweights and long-time party members are Kostis Hatzidakis, until now finance minister and who was elevated to deputy Prime Minister, and Defense Minister Nikos Dendias. And then, there is the newly appointed Finance Minister, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, representing the new generation, with roots in PASOK. Hatzidakis, a soft mannered personality, who has served in the European Parliament and, perhaps most importantly, has held many tough portfolios in consecutive New Democracy governments, is perceived as the continuation of the Mitsotakis government. Dendias, has steadily consolidated his appeal to the broader society as both Foreign and Defense Minister, and is seen as the main potential “alternative” within the ranks of the ruling party. He is the most popular minister, with Pierrakakis, who is credited with the country’s digital leap forward during the pandemic, following in second place. The goal for the government after the reshuffle is not confined to managing the damage of the Tempe tragedy but also recovering from the public dissatisfaction with the arrogance, the missteps and the shear fatigue of almost six years in power. And to be able to produce, as the Prime minister himself put it, “tangible results”. To what extent this will be achieved will determine the timing and the shape of the “day after”. |
| CHART OF THE WEEK | |  There are not enough facilities to properly host all unaccompanied minors who have entered Greece in recent months, particularly as the rate of arrival has picked up over the last few months. There are only 1,500 designated reception facilities for minors, which means that many are either staying at Reception and Identification Centers or other centers that do not satisfy the prerequisite requirements. Indicatively, there have been a total of 5,139 asylum applications by unaccompanied minors last year, even if sources from within the Ministry of Migration and Asylum note that only 2,641 are currently staying at a Greek government facility. |
| | |  | ESCAPADE | | Micro-wineries in Cyprus hope to give the world’s oldest named wine a comeback Praised by the ancient Greek giants Homer and Euripides for its superb quality nearly 3,000 years ago, the Mediterranean island’s Commandaria is the world’s oldest recorded and named wine Go to article > |
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| ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL | | | “The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index posted a new 14-year-high on Friday when it closed at 1,693.61 points, up 4.07% on a weekly basis.” | | | “Credit ratings agency Moody’s returned Greece to investment grade by upgrading the country to “Baa3”. ‘Moody’s upgrade of Greece to Baa3 marks the final step in restoring our investment grade by all major rating agencies, highlighting Greece’s significant progress’, said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.” | | | “There was a shift toward full-time, salaried employment last year (with 77,800 new positions) as the proportion of self-employed individuals without staff fell to 19.8% of the total workforce. Additionally, the government noted that unemployment in the country was it its lowest level in 17 years.” |
| WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA | | - 17/03/2025Cyprus talks: The United Nations will be hosting an informal talk on the continued occupation of Cyprus.
- 19/03/2025Defense White Paper: The European Union Commission is set to present its White Paper on the issue of European defense.
- 19/03/2025Cold Snap: Meteorologists are predicting a cold front, with a forecast of maximum temperature drop of 20 degrees Celsius.
- 20/03/2025European Council: European leaders will participate in a European Council meeting in Brussels.
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Editor's Pick The inflammable material is all around us. The citizens’ anger and disappointment are not confined to demonstrations and social media.Nikos KonstandarasRead the article |
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