Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reshuffled his cupboard on Friday to spice up the federal government’s battle with a cost-of-living disaster, however saved his international and finance ministers in place to indicate coverage continuity.
The adjustments have been introduced after Mitsotakis’ centre-right celebration carried out worse than anticipated in Sunday’s election to the European Parliament.
Though he saved Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis and Overseas Affairs Minister George Gerapetritis, Mitsotakis named Takis Theodorikakos as growth minister and moved Niki Kerameus from the inside ministry to the labour ministry. Former defence minister Nikos Papanagiotopoulos was appointed migration minister.
Mitsotakis’ New Democracy celebration, which has led Greece since 2019, got here first in Sunday’s election with 28.3% of the vote. However it missed a 33% goal set by Mitsotakis and was beneath the 40% the celebration acquired in a nationwide election in June 2023.
A document 59% of registered voters abstained within the EU vote.
Regardless of an financial restoration after a decade of ache, wages in Greece are nonetheless beneath the European Union common.
Mitsotakis has attributed the “protest” vote to the excessive price of residing. The conservative chief has mentioned his authorities will strive inside price range limits to fight spiralling costs of meals merchandise, however has dominated out a gross sales tax reduce.
“Rising costs stay a prime concern for Greek individuals as latest polls confirmed. So changing the event minister was a corrective transfer he (Mitsotakis) needed to take,” political analyst Apostolos Pistolas mentioned.
Mitsotakis has additionally promised to scale back employers’ social safety contributions to encourage companies to rent extra staff and battle the unemployment price, which has dropped lately however remains to be double the euro-zone common.
Mitsotakis has dominated out a snap election. His time period ends in 2027.
He mentioned this week a landmark reform permitting same-sex marriage had backfired because it drew away conventional New Democracy voters away, however that he didn’t plan to reverse it.
Papanagiotopoulos’ appointment as migration minister was described by political analysts as a flip to a extra right-wing coverage.
Greece has been a favoured gateway to the EU for migrants and refugees from the Center East, Africa and Asia since 2015 when practically 1 million individuals landed on its islands.
