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New European
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New European
‘You are not welcome here'
Voridis first came to prominence in 2014 when he was appointed health minister, and people cottoned on to his ultra-nationalist links. Then in 2023 he made headlines for saying that, if it came to a vote, he wouldn't support same-sex marriage. In a political system plagued by accusations of corruption and cronyism, few Greek ministers can claim to be controversy-free. But the new minister for migration and asylum, Makis Voridis, is in a league of his own. Back in the 1980s, he led the youth wing of a fascist party founded by Greece's former dictator Georgios Papadopoulos. There's even a photograph of Voridis wielding an axe against leftist students. And so the prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, put him in charge of helping refugees. It was partly a response to the protests in March, when hundreds of thousand took to the streets after the 2023 Tempi rail disaster. Greece's worst-ever train crash killed 57 people, and there's a broad view that the government response has been inept. In an attempt to help his approval ratings, Mitsotakis went for a cabinet shake-up, which is when Voridis got his new job. 'I was devastated,' says Lefteris Papagiannakis, director of the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR). 'Because I know exactly who Voridis is, what he stands for.' The GCR provides legal aid and other support for asylum seekers and refugees, which makes it precisely the sort of organisation Voridis will see as an obstacle to his hardline agenda. 'We're seeing a symbolic change in the narrative – much more direct, much more aggressive. At least, that's the image he wants to project. But I don't think he'll actually be able to make all the changes he's shouting about. I don't think Greece will manage to change the European policy at the level he wants.' Voridis is the latest in a stream of hardliners in Greek politics. 'Putin has a higher approval rating here than anywhere else in Europe, so the 'strong man' model people really respond to,' says Papagiannakis. 'Mitsotakis knows this, so he's using them to appeal to the far right electorate.' While the prime minister is supposedly centrist, you'll often see Greeks referring to this political stance in air quotes. Since coming to power in 2019, his New Democracy party has pushed policies that blur the line between mainstream conservatism and far right nationalism, such as tightening immigration laws and cracking down on press freedoms. More from this author The horror of Greece's femicide Hester Underhill And while Voridis might not live up to his bold claims, his appointment couldn't have come at a worse time for Papagiannakis and his organisation. Trump's foreign aid cuts have put the Greek Refugee Council's future in danger, as the NGO was heavily reliant on the UNHCR to finance its operations. 'We might not be the only organisation advocating for refugees here, but we're one of the only ones that really bites. We use the legal system to hold the government accountable for its actions. So the government will really benefit from all these funding cuts, because if there are no NGOs around to challenge them, they can get away with whatever they like. And that scares me.' Earlier this year his organisation helped to win a landmark case at the European Court of Human Rights for a woman forcibly sent back to Turkey despite her attempts to seek protection. Greece was found guilty of carrying out a policy of illicit deportation – the first time the country had been publicly condemned for conducting the 'systematic' repatriation of refugees. But a new EU migration pact that comes into force next year might lead to even more rights violations. The pact on migration and asylum is meant to be 'a fresh start' for the EU. It will give member states three options: relocate a certain number of asylum seekers, pay €20,000 per claimant they refuse to relocate, or finance operational support, such as staff and equipment. 'It will make things worse,' says Papagiannakis. 'Because we'll just end up seeing more illegal detentions and pushbacks.' And with new political figures like Voridis in positions of authority, the question isn't just how the Greek government will handle the flow of migrants across its borders, but who will be left to hold them accountable. Hester Underhill is a freelance British journalist currently based in Athens
The Guardian
14-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Greek PM seeks ‘reset' with former far-right activist as migration minister
The Greek prime minister has appointed a former far-right student activist to the helm of the migration ministry as part of a broad reshuffle aimed at 'resetting' his government amid public outrage over its handling of a deadly 2023 train crash. In an attempt to stem declining approval ratings, Kyriakos Mitsotakis placed the self-described nationalist, Makis Voridis, in the sensitive post while selecting a number of younger officials to key portfolios including the transport ministry. Officials called the shake-up 'a significant renewal' of forces at a time when the centre-right administration has faced unprecedented protests over the rail disaster. The new transport minister, Christos Dimas, who taught in the UK before going into politics, will supervise the overhaul of a rail network whose safety gaps have been blamed for the crash that left 57 dead and dozens injured when an intercity passenger train collided head-on with a freight train on 28 February 2023. The appointment to the finance ministry of the popular US-educated computer scientist Kyriakos Pierrakakis is also seen as injecting an air of regeneration into a government in its sixth year in office. Pierrakakis, 42, who moves from the education ministry, is from the centre-left. But commentators said with Mitsotakis confronting growing criticism from supporters of his own centre-right New Democracy party, the reshuffle was also aimed at solidifying his traditional conservative base. 'It's as much about reinforcing his control over his own parliamentary group and sending the message that from now on there'll be a more conservative, hardline stance on migration,' said the European affairs analyst Yannis Koutsomitis. 'It's also a clear signal to Europe and Washington that 'we're on the same wavelength.'' Once caught on camera wielding an axe as he chased leftist fellow students, Voridis, 60, emerged on the political scene as the head of the youth wing of Epen, the far-right party founded by the former dictator Georgios Papadopoulos. With a seat in the European parliament, the group enjoyed close ties with France's late National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, openly espousing many of his extremist views. Voridis has long depicted Muslim immigrants as a threat to Europe and the social cohesion of Greece, a frontline EU member state that has seen successive waves of incoming asylum seekers over the past decade. On Friday the leftwing opposition Syriza party described the reshuffle as 'an insult to Greek society'. The prominent anti-racist group Keerfa said the appointment of Voridis signalled a far-right turn, and predicted mass deportations at a time when New Democracy's appeal had dwindled amid persistent claims that the government had 'covered up' the train disaster. '[His] appointment shows that it will try to use racism and an opening to the far right to deal with the anger,' it said, arguing that with Donald Trump back in power the ruling party 'saw opportunities' in adopting policies that would help pick up votes lost to parties on the far right. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion The changes were announced a day after a veteran conservative, Konstantinos Tasoulas, was sworn in as the country's president, replacing the liberal former judge and first female head of state Katerina Sakellaropoulou. Once seen as unassailable, Mitsotakis's popularity has dropped dramatically although his government survived a parliamentary vote of no confidence last week over the crash. With general elections not due until 2027, political analysts say there is still time to win back public confidence but few believe Friday's changes will be enough to stem popular anger. 'It is uncertain whether such changes would alter people's perception of the government or make it more effective,' said the political analyst Costas Panagopoulos.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Greek Premier Reshuffles Cabinet After Protests, Censure Motion
(Bloomberg) -- Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis unveiled a broad cabinet reshuffle Friday as he seeks to shore up his government following major protests over its handling of the deadliest train crash in the nation's history. Trump DEI Purge Hits Affordable Housing Groups Electric Construction Equipment Promises a Quiet Revolution NYC Congestion Pricing Toll Gains Support Among City Residents Open Philanthropy Launches $120 Million Fund To Support YIMBY Reforms Prospect Medical's Pennsylvania Hospitals at Risk of Closure The changes include the appointment of Kyriakos Pierrakakis as finance minister, while his predecessor and close Mitsotakis ally Kostis Hatzidakis will become the government vice president. Other key ministries with new leadership include those for energy, shipping and migration. The reshuffle comes just a week after Mitsotakis's government survived a censure motion in parliament. While his center-right New Democracy party held its ground in the no-confidence vote, nationwide demonstrations have emboldened opposition parties and put the premier's government under significant pressure. Greeks took to the streets at home and abroad last month, on the two year mark of Greece's worst rail disaster, asking for justice, accountability and voicing frustration over delays and errors in the investigation process. The train crash that took place in February 2023 left 57 people dead, many of them university students. The protests were Greece's largest public mobilization in over a decade and drew people from across the political spectrum, with the crash being perceived as emblematic of chronic issues plaguing the country's rail infrastructure. Polls show Mitsotakis is feeling the heat. New Democracy still enjoys significantly more support than its competitors, but the party is now trending below the 28.3% vote share it got in the 2024 European Parliament elections. Christos Dimas, until now a deputy finance minister, will become the new infrastructure minister. Together with a newly-appointed deputy responsible for railways, they will try to speed up the changes in the country's train network. Mitsotakis has promised that trains will be safe by 2027, when the next national elections are scheduled. Incoming finance chief Pierrakakis served as minister for digital governance from 2019 to 2023, spearheading a major effort to digitalize public sector services in order to streamline bureaucratic processes. A computer and political scientist by training, he most recently served as education minister, overseeing the creation of a legal framework to allow private universities to operate in Greece. --With assistance from Paul Tugwell. How America Got Hooked on H Mart How Trump's 'No Tax on Tips' Could Backfire for the Working Class How Natural Gas Became America's Most Important Export Disney's Parks Chief Sees Fortnite as Key to Its Future Germany Is Suffering an Identity Crisis 80 Years in the Making ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Greek PM reshuffles cabinet after dent in approval ratings and far-right gains
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. The most notable change brings popular former minister of digital governance Kyriakos Pierrakakis to the helm of the finance ministry. Pierrakakis, 42, is seen as a rising star in the governing New Democracy party and a political centrist. But 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 likely aimed at slowing the governing party's loss of support to fringe far-right parties. The cabinet reorganization came a day after veteran conservative lawmaker Constantine Tassoulas was sworn in as Greece's new president. Tassoulas replaced Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who was the first woman to hold the office, in the largely ceremonial position. 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. Mitsotakis' 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.
Associated Press
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Greek PM reshuffles cabinet after dent in approval ratings and far-right gains
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. The most notable change brings popular former minister of digital governance Kyriakos Pierrakakis to the helm of the finance ministry. Pierrakakis, 42, is seen as a rising star in the governing New Democracy party and a political centrist. But 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 likely aimed at slowing the governing party's loss of support to fringe far-right parties. The cabinet reorganization came a day after veteran conservative lawmaker Constantine Tassoulas was sworn in as Greece's new president. Tassoulas replaced Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who was the first woman to hold the office, in the largely ceremonial position. 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. Mitsotakis' 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.
