Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made significant changes to his Cabinet on Friday, as his center-right government faces continued public anger following Greece’s deadliest rail disaster two years ago.
In a move widely expected, Kostis Hatzidakis, who previously served as the finance minister, was appointed deputy prime minister, tasked with overseeing key government projects. His former position at the Finance Ministry will now be filled by Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who had served as the education minister.
Sofia Zacharaki will take over the Education Ministry, while Domna Michailidou assumes responsibility for the social cohesion and family portfolio.
Christos Staikouras is stepping down as transport minister and will be replaced by Christos Dimas, the former deputy finance minister. Meanwhile, Konstantinos Kyranakis, who previously served as deputy minister of digital governance, has been appointed deputy minister in charge of overseeing railway reforms.
Vassilis Kikilias has been named the new shipping minister, while his former role at the Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection will now be filled by Ioannis Kefalogiannis, who previously served as deputy defense minister.
Stavros Papastavrou has returned to the Cabinet to assume the environment and energy portfolio, replacing Theodoros Skylakakis.
Former state minister Makis Voridis will now serve as the minister for migration.
The foreign affairs and defense portfolios remain unchanged.
According to government sources, the reshuffle marks “a significant renewal,” with the prime minister offering “opportunities for young talent.” They added that “the government is evolving in both generation and philosophy,” aiming to improve “effectiveness and speed.”
The new Cabinet is set to be sworn in at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
This reshuffle follows weeks of intense protests, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to demand justice for the tragic February 28, 2023, train collision near Tempe, central Greece, which resulted in 57 deaths, many of them students. The tragedy sparked the country’s largest protests in years and has significantly impacted Mitsotakis’ government, which has seen approval ratings drop in recent polls. Last week, the government narrowly survived a vote of no confidence over the incident.
