New cabinet defined by rotation, changes
Gov’t tasked with reforms in health, education, environment, urban planning, expediting justice
After Sunday’s strong mandate, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has included all the elements he has repeatedly espoused in the new cabinet that was announced on Monday afternoon by the new government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis. A striking feature of the new government is the element of rotation, with officials of the previous four years changing ministries.
At the same time, it sees Mitsotakis remaining true to the logic of the last four years, leaning to the center, while including many more women in his new cabinet, as he had pledged to do during the election campaign.
In total, the cabinet includes 24 ministers and seven alternates. Of these 24, 17 were also in the previous government and seven are new. Of the 17 “old” ones, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni is the only one who remained in her position. Several prominent ministers were shuffled into new positions, including former foreign minister Nikos Dendias, who has assumed the Defense Ministry, and former digital governance minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who has taken over as education minister.
Giorgios Gerapetritis, a close associate of Mitsotakis, was appointed foreign minister and Kostis Hatzidakis was named finance minister. Former education minister Niki Kerameus took over from Makis Voridis as interior minister, with the latter being named a minister of state.
The stated objective of the new government is reforms of the National Health System (ESY) and education, the implementation of realistic and immediate measures for the faster administration of justice, and tackling environmental and urban planning issues.
Regarding ESY, the new leadership of the Health Ministry is called upon to change the hospital map of the country based on the real needs of the population of each region.
The Education Ministry is tasked with implementing the evaluation of educational work and teachers in primary and secondary education. A significant issue, among others, for the Environment Ministry is the continuation or not of the demolition of arbitrary buildings on beaches and in seaside areas. Mitsotakis was sworn in on Monday at the Presidential Palace, in the presence of President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Archbishop Ieronymos. Mitsotakis then walked to Maximos Mansion, the official seat of the prime minister, where he met with outgoing caretaker premier Ioannis Sarmas, to officially begin his new term.
