Greek PM reshuffles cabinet as protests dent approval rating. Hard-liner named as migration minister
Greek PM reshuffles cabinet as protests dent approval rating. Hard-liner named as migration minister
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ordered a cabinet reshuffle Friday as his conservative government works to address declining public approval over a deadly 2023 rail disaster and a rise in support for far-right parties.
In a nod to traditional conservatives, Makis Voridis, a politician with a far-right background, was named as the new migration minister — a high-profile appointment as the governing party battles a loss of support to fringe rightist parties.
Other notable changes include moving a popular former minister of digital governance, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, to head up the finance ministry. Pierrakakis, 42, is seen as a rising star in the governing New Democracy party and a political centrist.
Kostis Hadtzidakis, the outgoing finance minister, was named as a new deputy prime minister. Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis and Defense Minister Nikos Dendias held on to their positions along with several other ministers in key government posts.
The new government ministers will be sworn in on Saturday.
The cabinet reorganization came a day after veteran conservative lawmaker Constantine Tassoulas was sworn in as Greece’s new president, replacing Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who was the first woman to hold the largely ceremonial position.
Opposition parties criticized the appointment of Voridis, 60, who was a prominent member of far-right and nationalist political groups and parties before joining New Democracy in 2012. He has held several senior cabinet positions, and will now be tasked to redouble government efforts to seek direct funding from the European Union for the ongoing border wall extension.
“Regarding the move of Mr. Voridis to the ministry of migration, I hope that his actions will not reflect his views,” Natasa Gara, a spokeswoman for the left-wing Syriza party, said in a local radio interview.
“When someone with extreme political views is placed in charge, I seriously question what kind of migration policy we will follow — both in terms of European commitments and national legislation,” she said.
Mitsotakis, despite his strong lead in opinion polls over a fractured opposition, is struggling to restore public confidence after the 2023 train collision that killed 57 people and sparked widespread protests over perceived government accountability failures. His center-right New Democracy party has seen its approval ratings slide in recent weeks as the government continues to grapple with the disaster’s political fallout.
Despite his mainstream policies on the economy and Europe, Mitsotakis has taken a tough line on migration since taking over in 2019. His government extended a wall along the Greek-Turkish border and introduced controversial interception policies for boats carrying migrants from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands — actions that were politically popular and reflect a hardening of attitudes among many European governments.
By DEREK GATOPOULOS
Associated Press
