Chania MP for Nea Dimokratia Sevi Voloudaki was appointed deputy minister for Immigration in the government reshuffle last week. It was a remarkable progression for a politician who only became an MP in June 2023, having decided to stand for election following the death of her husband Manousos Voloudakis in February of that year.
Following the nationwide demonstrations marking the two-year anniversary of the Tempe rail disaster, the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis last week proceeded to a reshuffle of his cabinet in an effort to restore a perceived loss of public trust in the government over, amongst other things, a supposed cover-up following the accident. It was a perception eagerly fostered by the left-wing opposition parties, who had instituted a vote of no confidence in the government, which was defeated on 7th March.
The new ministers sworn in
While some familiar figures remain in charge of the major ministries, the reshuffle comprises a substantial reorganisation of roles and the promotion of a number of younger politicians to ministerial rank, in an effort to revivify the government’s change programme and to appeal to younger members of the electorate.
The new ministers were sworn in before the also newly sworn-in President, Konstantinos Tasoulas, at the Presidential Mansion on Saturday 15th March, and at the first meeting of the new cabinet held immediately after the ceremony the Prime Minister, according to Ekathimerini, said that he expected his ministers to produce results:
“Our way of working is being renewed: Beyond the current ones, you will focus on priorities that I will personally oversee. I want tangible results per sector,” he said during the meeting. “We have clear goals and a plan to achieve them. Everything depends on us.” The cabinet changes prioritise economic growth, infrastructure, transportation and immigration policy. “We are regaining a clear horizon. This reshuffle sends a double message: Renewal and action to improve citizens’ lives. Our motto: Faster, bolder,” he said.
(Ekathimerini.com 15/03/25)
The newcomers and those who remain
In the most radical change in the government, Mr Mitsotakis has named the outgoing Finance minister, Kostis Hadtzidakis as new deputy prime minster, with overall responsibility for government policy, while his place has been taken by 41-year- old Kyriakos Pierrakakis. Although serving as Education minister since June 2023, Mr Pierrakakis is chiefly known for successfully overseeing the digital transformation of government services as minister of Digital Governance during the first Mitsotakis government from 2019. He is not the youngest full minister in the cabinet – that distinction goes to 38-year-old Domna Michailidou, formerly deputy minister in the ministry of Education, Religion and Sport, who has been appointed minister of Social Cohesion and the Family.
The reshuffle has been fairly wholesale: of the 24 ministers and alternate ministers in the new government, only 9 have remained in their previous jobs, while only 6 of the 32 former deputy ministers are still serving in the same position as before. Among those who have held on to their existing posts are Foreign minister Giorgos Gerapetritis and Defence minister Nikos Dendias – both roles where continuity was deemed important – and Health minister Adonis Georgiadis. Also retained are the ministers of Justice, Giorgos Floridis; Culture, Lina Medoni; Rural Development, Kostas Tsiaras; and Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni. The gender balance of the new government has declined somewhat – whereas in the previous government there were 5 female ministers and 10 deputy ministers, in the new one there are 6 female ministers and 6 deputy ministers.
Sevi Voloudaki
Following the swearing-in on Saturday, the new deputy minister for immigration told ERT News that a lot has changed on the immigration front in the past few years. The number of refugees entering the country annually has dropped from 90,000 in 2009 to 20,000 today she said.
“Things have changed a great deal, the processes are being gone through much more quickly, but we aim to step them up further, to make them even faster, and stricter, since we are continually getting new waves of refugees while the weather is fine. I see this especially in Crete, that with the fence on the Evro the flow coming in from there has been greatly restricted and they try to find other ways in, by sea.
“The priorities are firstly that there is very strict monitoring on who is coming in, how they get in, how many get in, how many stay and when they leave. My own responsibilities from now on are chiefly underage unaccompanied refugees, and the social policies which the ministry will apply to refugees and immigrants,” she concluded.
