Kostis Hatzidakis

Minister for Νational Economy and FinanceAssumed office
27 June 2023Prime MinisterKyriakos MitsotakisPreceded byTheodore PelagidesMinister for Labor and Social AffairsIn office
5 January 2021 – 26 May 2023Prime MinisterKyriakos MitsotakisPreceded byGiannis VroutsisSucceeded byPatrina PaparrigopoulouMinister for the Environment and EnergyIn office
9 July 2019 – 5 January 2021Prime MinisterKyriakos MitsotakisPreceded byGiorgos StathakisSucceeded byKostas SkrekasMinister for Development and CompetitivenessIn office
25 June 2013 – 10 June 2014Prime MinisterAntonis SamarasPreceded byhimself (Development, Competitiveness, Infrastructure, Transport and Networks)Succeeded byNikos DendiasMinister for Development, Competitiveness, Infrastructure, Transport and NetworksIn office
21 June 2012 – 25 June 2013Prime MinisterAntonis SamarasPreceded byYannis Stournaras (Development, Competitiveness and Shipping)
Simos Simopoulos (Infrastructure, Transport and Networks)Succeeded byhimself (Development and Competitiveness)
Michalis Chrisochoidis (Infrastructure, Transport and Networks)Vice President of New DemocracyAssumed office
18 January 2016PresidentKyriakos Mitsotakis Personal detailsBorn (1965-04-20) 20 April 1965 (age 59)
Rethymno, GreecePolitical partyNew DemocracyAlma materUniversity of Athens (LLB)
University of Kent (LLM)ProfessionLawyer

Konstantinos (Kostis) Hatzidakis (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος (Κωστής) Χατζηδάκης; born 20 April 1965 in Rethymno) is a Greek politician of New Democracy who has been serving as Minister for Νational Economy and Finance in the Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Within his party, he serves as vice president under Mitsotakis' leadership.

Prior to this, he served as the Minister for Labor and Social Affairs (2021–2023) and as Minister for the Environment and Energy (2019–2021).^[1]

Political career

Hatzidakis was elected President of the Youth Organisation of New Democracy (ONNED), serving from 1992 to 1994.

Member of the European Parliament, 1994–2007

Hatzidakis was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for New Democracy in the European elections of 1994, 1999 and 2004. During his time in parliament from 1994 until 2007, he served on the Committee on Regional Development. From 2004 until 2005. He was also a member of the Temporary committee on policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007–2013. In addition to his committee assignments, he was part of the parliament's delegations to the EU-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee (1994–1999); to the parliamentary cooperation committees for relations with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia (1999–2004); and to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee.^[2]

Career in national politics

In the 2007 Greek legislative election, Hatzidakis was elected to the Hellenic Parliament for the Athens B constituency and consequently resigned from the European Parliament.^[3]

Hatzidakis served as Minister for Transport and Communications from 2007 to 2009 and then as Minister for Development in 2009.

On 15 December 2010, Hatzidakis was ambushed and assaulted by violent rioters during a general strike at the height of the Greek government-debt crisis.^[4][5]

Minister for the Environment and Energy, 2019–2021

In his capacity as energy minister, Hatzidakis was tasked to work on a rescue plan for state-owned Public Power Corporation (PPC) which had been struggling with 2.7 billion euros ($2.99 billion) of unpaid bills from customers unable to pay during the country's financial crisis.^[6] From 2020, he also oversaw efforts to liquidate majority state-owned nickel producer LARCO, another company struggling under heavy debt, and then look for an investor for some of the company's assets.^[7] Under his leadership, Greece also began the sale of a minority stake in PPC-owned power distribution operator HEDNO^[8] and of power grid operator ADMIE in 2020.^[9]

Minister for Labor and Social Affairs, 2021–2023

In May 2021, Hatzidakis introduced the government's plans to overhaul Greek labour laws by liberalizing working hours, including by introducing a "digital work card" to monitor employees working hours in real time as well as increasing legal overtime to 150 hours a year.^[10]

Other activities

• European Investment Bank (EIB), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2023)^[11]
• European Stability Mechanism, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2023)^[12]
• International Monetary Fund (IMF), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2023)^[13]

References

External links

• Official website (in Greek)
• Personal profile of Kostis Hatzidakis in the European Parliament's database of members
• Terms of office of Kostis Hatzidakis at the Hellenic Parliament (in English)

Political offices
Preceded by Michalis Liapis	Minister for Transport and Communications 2007–2009	Succeeded by Evripidis Stylianidis
Preceded by Christos Folias	Minister for Development 2009	Succeeded by Louka Katseli as Minister for the Economy, Competitiveness and Shipping
Preceded by Yannis Stournaras as Minister for Development, Competitiveness and Shipping	Minister for Development, Competitiveness, Infrastructure, Transport and Networks 2012–2013	Succeeded by Himself as Minister for Development and Competitiveness
Preceded by Simos Simopoulos as Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Networks		Succeeded by Michalis Chrisochoidis as Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Networks
Preceded by Himself as Minister for Development, Competitiveness, Infrastructure, Transport and Networks	Minister for Development and Competitiveness 2013–2014	Succeeded by Nikos Dendias
Preceded by Giorgos Stathakis	Minister for the Environment and Energy 2019–2021	Succeeded by Kostas Skrekas
Preceded by Giannis Vroutsis	Minister for Labor and Social Affairs 2021–2023	Succeeded by Patrina Paparrigopoulou
Preceded by Theodore Pelagides	Minister for Νational Economy and Finance 2023–present	Incumbent