The Greek government announced a limited cabinet reshuffle Monday, with four new appointments across three ministries. The swearing-in ceremony before President Konstantinos Tasoulas is scheduled for Friday, June 12.
The changes came earlier than expected. According to reports, the decision to move quickly was driven by a desire to quash days of mounting speculation and refocus attention on the government’s work.
George Kotsiras was named deputy minister of Transport. Dimitris Markopoulos takes over as deputy minister of National Economy and Finance, responsible for tax policy. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tasos Chatzivasileiou, whose appointment had been widely anticipated, will serve as deputy minister for European Affairs, a role that will include overseeing preparations for the Greek presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The appointment of Marilena Soukouli Biliali as deputy minister of Environment and Energy fills a vacancy left by the late Nikos Tagaras, who had held the post until his death.
Who’s Who
George Kotsiras has been named deputy minister of Transport, and will take over the portfolio vacated by Konstantinos Kyranakis, who moves to the New Democracy party secretariat. The 42-year-old MP for West Attica, first elected in 2019, brings a legal background to the role, holding a doctorate in European Law. He has previously served as deputy minister in three ministries: Foreign Affairs, Justice and Finance.
Dimitris Markopoulos, 51, will take over Kotsiras’s former post as deputy minister of National Economy and Finance, responsible for tax policy. A veteran parliamentary figure representing New Democracy, Markopoulos spent years as a financial journalist before entering politics, a background expected to prove useful in communicating complex fiscal policy to the public. He will also represent Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who also serves as president of the Eurogroup, in parliament when ministerial commitments require it.
Tasos Chatzivasileiou, 44, MP for Serres, will take on the role of deputy minister of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, a portfolio he knows well. He has served as secretary of international relations for New Democracy and has accompanied the prime minister on foreign trips. An assistant professor of international relations, he is expected to play a central role in preparing for the Greek presidency of the Council of the European Union. Chatzivasileiou’s name had appeared in the OPEKEPE agricultural subsidies investigation, but a court decision earlier this month to drop the case cleared the way for his return to government.
Marilena Soukouli-Biliali, MP for Corinthia and a New Democracy parliamentarian since 2019, becomes deputy minister of Environment and Energy, filling the vacancy left by the late Nikos Tagaras. A professional engineer in the private sector since 1996, her portfolio will cover spatial planning, urban environment, environmental licensing, electronic governance and geospatial information.
