Kostis Hatzidakis

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 the Minister for Labor and Social Affairs in the Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis since 2021. Among other offices, he previously held the post of Minister for the Environment and Energy.[1] Within his party, he serves as vice president under Mitsotakis' leadership.

Kostis Hatzidakis
Κωστής Χατζηδάκης
Minister for Labor and Social Affairs
Assumed office
5 January 2021
Prime MinisterKyriakos Mitsotakis
Preceded byGiannis Vroutsis
Minister for the Environment and Energy
In office
9 July 2019  5 January 2021
Prime MinisterKyriakos Mitsotakis
Preceded byGiorgos Stathakis
Succeeded byKostas Skrekas
Minister for Development and Competitiveness
In office
25 June 2013  10 June 2014
Prime MinisterAntonis Samaras
Preceded byhimself (Development, Competitiveness, Infrastructure, Transport and Networks)
Succeeded byNikos Dendias
Minister for Development, Competitiveness, Infrastructure, Transport and Networks
In office
21 June 2012  25 June 2013
Prime MinisterAntonis Samaras
Preceded 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 Democracy
Assumed office
18 January 2016
Serving with Adonis Georgiadis
PresidentKyriakos Mitsotakis
Personal details
Born (1965-04-20) 20 April 1965
Rethymno, Greece
Political partyNew Democracy
ProfessionLawyer

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]

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]

References

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–present
Incumbent
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