Staikouras, FinMin of the Year for Europe
Christos Staikouras was named Finance Minister of the Year 2023 for Europe by The Banker magazine of the Financial Times group, whose awards celebrate the officials that have best managed to stimulate growth and stabilize their economy.
“Since being appointed finance minister in 2019, Christos Staikouras has been instrumental in implementing structural reforms which have put Greece’s public finances and economy back on track. Following the 2008 European sovereign debt crisis, the Greek economy was put on life support and had to be bailed out by the EU and the International Monetary Fund. Greece is now well on the road to recovery – in August 2022, enhanced scrutiny by Greece’s EU creditors ended after it repaid all outstanding IMF credit earlier than expected,” the magazine noted on Tuesday.
It added that on “Staikouras’ watch, Greece has also implemented important reforms in several areas, including the digitization of public administration, improving the fiscal policy mix, simplifying the framework for investment licensing, and establishing tax incentives to attract investment and boost research and innovation.”
“It is an honor to receive The Banker’s award as Finance Minister of the Year in Europe,” said Staikouras. “This award is a testament to the Greek people’s sacrifices and the Greek government’s hard efforts, not only during past year, but since July 2019, to strengthen our economy in a sustainable and inclusive way, and to promote its resilience and competitiveness, through the implementation of effective and farsighted policies and structural reforms, despite adverse global circumstances.
“This is a reward for the sacrifices of the Greek people, the adaptability and resilience of the country’s businesses, but also for the hard work of the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis. An effort not only in 2022 but continuously since July 2019, to strengthen our economy in an economically sustainable and socially inclusive way, improve the lives of citizens and upgrade Greece’s position on the international stage, through effective, far-sighted and reforming policies,” he added.
In previous years the award had gone to Lithuania’s Gintare Skaiste (in 2022), France’s Bruno Le Maire (in 2021), Ireland’s Paschal Donohue (in 2020) and Portugal’s Mario Centeno (in 2019).
