During his terms as Prime Minister, Mitsotakis has received both praise and criticism for hispro-European,technocratic governance,austerity measures,[6] and his handling of theCOVID-19 pandemic in Greece.[7][8] He has been credited with the modernization and digital transformation of the country's public administration,[9] and has been remarked for his overall management of the Greek economy, with Greece being named the Top Economic Performer for 2022 byThe Economist,[10] which was in particular due to Greece in 2022 being able to repay ahead of schedule 2.7 billion euros ($2.87 billion) of loans owed toEurozone countries under the first bailout it received during itsdecade-long debt crisis, along with being on the verge of reaching investment-grade rating.[11][12] He has been commended for furtheringLGBT rights in Greece through the legalization ofsame-sex adoption andsame-sex marriage in Greece.[13][14] He has also received both praise and criticism for his handling of migration, including aid from theEuropean Union,[15] but criticism from journalists and activists forpushbacks, which his government has denied.[16] Additionally, Mitsotakis has received criticism for heightened corruption during his term,[17][18] as well as a deterioration offreedom of the press inGreece.[19][20][21] His term was impacted by the2022 wiretapping scandal,[22] theTempi Train crash,[23] and the wildfires in2021 and2023.[24][25][26] In 2024 he received criticism by theEuropean Parliament in a resolution addressing concerns over the state of the rule of law in Greece.[27][28][29]
From 1990 to 1991 Kyriakos Mitsotakis worked as afinancial analyst at thecorporate finance division ofChase Bank in London. From 1991 to 1992, Mitsotakis returned to Greece and joined theHellenic Army to fulfil his mandatorynational service obligations. From 1995 to 1997, and following the completion of his post-graduate studies, he was employed by the consultancyMcKinsey & Company in London, focusing primarily on the telecommunications andfinancial services industries. From 1997 to 1999 he worked for Alpha Ventures, aprivate equity subsidiary ofAlpha Bank, as a senior investment officer, executing venture capital and private equity transactions. In 1999 he founded NBG Venture Capital, the private equity and venture capital subsidiary of theNational Bank of Greece, and acted as its CEO, managing its portfolio and executing transactions in Greece and theBalkans, until April 2003, when he resigned to pursue a career in politics.[35]
In January 2003, he was nominated by theWorld Economic Forum as a global leader of tomorrow.[36]
On 24 June 2013, Mitsotakis was appointed as theMinister of Administrative Reform and e-Governance inAntonis Samaras's cabinet, succeedingAntonis Manitakis. He was in this position until January 2015. During this time, he pursued comprehensive national reforms by implementing a functional reorganization of institutions, structures and processes. He steadfastly supported the drastic downsizing of thePublic Sector and the structural reform of the tax administration.
In 2015, Mitsotakis was a parliamentary representative for New Democracy, representing the President of the party in Parliament, as well as the body of the party's Representatives. He was charged with expressing the positions of his party during Parliamentary procedures and discourse, as well as ensuring the proper function of Parliament through a process of checks and balances. In March 2015, he claimed that then-Minister of FinanceYanis Varoufakis was undermining the Greek negotiations over thethird bailout programme, saying: "Every time he opens his mouth, he creates a problem for the country's negotiating position."[38]
Mitsotakis was the first of four New Democracy members to announce their candidacy in theleadership election, declared following the resignation ofAntonis Samaras as party leader and the failure of New Democracy in theSeptember 2015 snap election.[39] Amongst the other contestants was then-interim leader and formerSpeaker of the Hellenic ParliamentVangelis Meimarakis. According to theFinancial Times, Mitsotakis was "billed as an outsider in the leadership race" due to the party establishment's support of Meimarakis's candidacy.[40] Following the first round of voting with no clear winner, Mitsotakis came second, 11% behind Meimarakis.[40]
Mitsotakis and Spanish Prime MinisterMariano Rajoy, 2017
On 10 January 2016, Mitsotakis was elected president of theNew Democracy political party succeedingIoannis Plakiotakis (transitional president) with almost 4% difference from opponentVangelis Meimarakis. A week following Mitsotakis's election as leader, two opinion polls were published that put New Democracy ahead ofSyriza for the first time in a year.[41]
His party won 33% of the votes in the European elections in 2019.[42] He managed to win back votes from theGolden Dawn Party.[43] Following the election results, the Hellenic Parliament was dissolved and a snap election was called.[44]
Scandals and controversies
Press freedom
Under Mitsotakis, Greece has declined in press freedom. Violence against journalists has increased,[45] resulting to a deterioration of the Greekfreedom of the press.[19][20][21] Mitsotakis's government has directed funds towards media platforms that produce favorable coverage, whilst also allocating more than €20 million to state-friendly media at the beginning of the pandemic.[19] Furthermore, in November 2021, the government enacted a law to criminalize the dissemination of "fake news". This legislation empowers authorities to imprison individuals for up to five years if they spread purportedly false information that is deemed capable of causing concern or fear to the public or undermining public confidence in the national economy, the country's defense capacity, or public health.[46][47] Mitsotakis has acknowledged that the law may have been a mistake, but the law has not been reversed.[19]
In July 2022, the leader of the political party PASOK,Nikos Androulakis, revealed that there was an attempt to bug his phone with the spyware program "Predator". In a closed-door parliamentary hearing that was called by Androulakis, the chief ofGreek Intelligence Service, P. Kontoleon, admitted that his service had spied on Greek journalist Thanassis Koukakis, who has also complained about being targeted by "Predator".[51] After the publication of an investigation by Efsyn and Reporters United thatGrigoris Dimitriadis, Mitsotakis's nephew and general secretary, had connections with Felix Bitsios, the owner of the company that markets the "Predator", Dimitriadis submitted his resignation.[52] Shortly after, the chief of Greek Intelligence Service, Panagiotis Kontoleon, also stepped down over an allegation that his service had tapped Androulakis's phone.[51] Mitsotakis himself has actively worked to block any investigation on the wiretapping scandal from concluding.[53][54] The scandal has garnered extensive attention in the international media due to the fact that a number of the actions taken subsequent to the revelations were contentious and seemed to suggest an attempt to conceal the truth.[55][56][57] In January 2023, despite calls from the opposition to hold the government accountable for its actions and investigate the scandal further, Mitsotakis's administration successfully withstood a no-confidence vote.[58]
Mandatory COVID-19 measures and vaccinations
In December 2020, Mitsotakis was criticized after a photo of him surfaced on social media, in which he posed with five other people while not wearing a mask, during a time when Greece had a nationwide lockdown and mask-wearing was mandatory both indoors and outdoors.[59][60] On 6 February 2021 Mitsotakis visited the island ofIcaria to inspect the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations in the area. During this visit, he attended a lunch organized by MPChristodoulos I. Stefanadis along with his entourage numbering up to 40 people. The incident was covered by both Greek and international media and Mitsotakis was heavily criticized for violating the existing COVID-19 containment measures.[61][62][63][64] Mitsotakis publicly apologized for the Icaria incident, saying this will never happen again and that "the image hurt the citizens".[65][66]
In May 2021, when the Mitsotakis government announced the country's opening for tourism on 14 May, movement control measures, such as the obligation to send an SMS at particular sites, were retained temporarily. Other measures still in place after the re-opening of tourism were the daily curfew, from 00:30, the obligatory use of face masks indoors and outdoors, the ban on music in cafes and restaurants, and the ban on the operation of indoor restaurants throughout May. Casinos were allowed to operate, with a specific sanitary protocol. In an interview on 27 May 2021, Mitsotakis did not give a clear answer as to when and if the above measures would be lifted in the summer. He referred to a roadmap for lifting the controls but did not elaborate. He also estimated that tourism in 2021 in Greece would be around 50% of the levels experienced in 2019.[67][68][69][70] Greece was awarded the "Global Champion Award for COVID-19 Crisis Management" by theWorld Travel and Tourism Council, which "commends" the Greek Government as "a global example for the safe opening of the tourism sector during the pandemic."[71][72] He was also credited for the vaccine pass which was later used in the majority of countries in theEuropean Union.[6]
On 28 February 2023, a freight train and a passenger train traveling in opposite directions between Athens and Thessaloniki were inadvertently routed on the same track; 57 people were killed in the head-on collision near Tempi. Amid rising anger and nationwide protests, Mitsotakis offered "a public apology on behalf of those who ruled the country over the years", took responsibility for the disaster and vowed to fix the long-neglected rail system.[73][74] He said the government would invest more than 270 million euros to hire more staff and to install digital control systems by August.[75]
On 8 July 2019, Greek PresidentProkopis Pavlopoulos accepted Tsipras's resignation and tasked Mitsotakis with forming a new government.[76] Mitsotakis was sworn in as prime minister the same day as well.[77][78] On 9 July, theministers in his government were sworn in. Among his cabinet wasMakis Voridis, a former member of the far-rightPopular Orthodox Rally, who was met with a cold reception abroad and by the Jewish community in Greece. Israel announced that it would not cooperate with Voridis.[79]
From 2019 onwards, it is launching a wave of privatizations, including tourism infrastructure, coastal land, and state-owned shares in the gas and electricity companies and Athens airport. On the other hand, a tax reform aimed at making the country "a haven for billionaires and the wealthiest citizens", theFinancial Times notes, is being implemented. The aim is to attract investment by offering low tax rates. A clause will protect the beneficiaries of this tax policy from possible policy changes by future governments.[80]
The "big growth bill", adopted in the summer of 2020, provides for the restriction of the right to strike and the abolition of collective agreements, which had already been suspended in 2012 at the request of the Troika and then reinstated by the Tsipras government. Migration policy has been tightened: the coverage of hospital care for destitute foreigners has been abolished and the period during which refugees who have been granted asylum can reside in public housing has been reduced from six months to one month.[81] On environmental issues, the government reformed legislation to facilitate oil exploration.[82]
Mitsotakis's government has been praised by some observers for its handling of theCOVID-19 pandemic as well as for its plans for spending a €31bn share of the EU'sRecovery Plan and for its orderly vaccination roll-out. Additionally, the common COVID-19 certificate was credited to Mitsotakis, and his idea has been taken up at a European level.[83][84] Mitsotakis had criticized the initially slow pace of the EU's COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and he had called for its acceleration.[85]
Measures were implemented from March to May 2020 and from November 2020 until May 2021, when their gradual lifting started. The controls included the introduction of various movement restrictions, suspension of the operation of retail, catering and entertainment businesses, as well as schools and churches.[86][87]
In August 2020, a reform of the labour law was adopted. It provides for the possibility of an employer to dismiss employees without having to give reasons for the decision or give prior notice to the persons concerned. The tax authorities' anti-fraud unit was abolished and its employees were integrated into the Ministry of Finance.[88]
There is a long-standingdispute between Turkey and Greece over natural resources in the eastern Mediterranean. Mitsotakis said thatTurkey "remains stuck in the logic of using force and threats."[89] He toldNATO Secretary GeneralJens Stoltenberg that Greece is "contributing to NATO, we are an ally and have the expectation that when another NATO ally is behaving in a way that jeopardises our interests, NATO should not adopt this stance of equal distances and non-intervention in internal differences. It is deeply unfair to Greece."[90]
In July 2020, Mitsotakis awarded honorary Greek citizenship to American actorTom Hanks and his wife, American actressRita Wilson, the latter of whom is half Greek.[91]
During his term as PM, Mitsotakis has received both praise and criticism for hispro-European,technocratic governance,austerity measures,[6] and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.[7][8] Greece was named the Top Economic Performer for 2022 byThe Economist,[97] in particular because Greece in 2022 repaid ahead of schedule 2.7 billion euros ($2.87 billion) of loans owed toEurozone countries under the first bailout it received during itsdecade-long debt crisis, and also because of being on the verge of reaching investment-grade rating.[11][98] Mitsotakis has also received criticism on the subject of corruption, as during his term, Greece has experienced heightened corruption,[17][18] and a deterioration offreedom of the press.[19][20][21] His term was also marred by theNovartis corruption scandal,[99][100] the2022 wiretapping scandal,[22] and theTempi Train crash.[23] In addition, he has received both praise and criticism for his handling of migration, receiving praise and aid from theEuropean Union,[15] but criticism from journalists and activists forpushbacks, which his government has denied.[101]
Mitsotakis visitedPresidentKaterina Sakellaropoulou on 22 April in order to request the dissolution of the Parliament due to anational issue of extraordinary importance (pursuant to Article 41 of theConstitution of Greece); the issue cited was the need of political stability for the achievement ofinvestment-grade.[102][103] The election day was set for Sunday 21 May,[103] a day before the end of the 30-day period within which elections must be held following the dissolution of the Parliament.
New Democracy won the plurality of votes but did not win an outright majority. As no coalition government was formed by any of the parties eligible to do so, Mitsotakis called for another snap election in June.[104][105][106] On 24 May, as required by Greece's constitution, President Sakellaropoulou appointedIoannis Sarmas to be thecaretaker prime minister for the interim.[107]
The next month, he once again led his party to a majority in theJune 2023 Greek legislative election and was sworn in as prime minister again after receiving the order to form a government by the president.[108][3][4]
Second term (2023–present)
Mitsotakis with U.S. Secretary of StateAntony Blinken in Crete, Greece, 6 January 2024
In July 2023, Mitsotakis announced that he intended to legalisesame-sex marriage in Greece.[109] On 17 September, Mitsotakis stated that the subject would be addressed in Greece within the next four years.[110]
In October 2023, Mitsotakis condemned theHamas-led attack on southern Israel and expressed his support to Israel and "its right to self-defense".[111] Greece agreed to participate in the next steps towards supporting NATO operations in the region, but later backed a ceasefire call through the United Nations.[112]
In 2024, his tenure continued with the introduction of landmark bills, focusing on the establishment of private academic institutions in Greece,[113] as well as revisions to the tax and income systems.[114] Additionally, legislation was proposed for same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples, a move that was widely described as progressive.[115][116] However, these initiatives faced significant opposition from right-wing and hard-right factions within the party,[117] as well as theGreek Orthodox church,[118] who openly expressed their disagreement with the proposed legislation.[119] To address these concerns and secure support ahead of the parliamentary vote, Mitsotakis took the unconventional step of organizing educational meetings for dissenting members, aiming to provide a detailed explanation of the potential benefits of the proposed bills for same-sex couples.[120] According to journalistic sources, the educational initiative was not successful.[121]
Prior to the government's plans to legalize private higher education systems, it came under criticism for allegedly violating Article 16 of the constitution.[122] Legal experts and other political parties argued that the government was circumventing the constitution by introducing private institutions without first amending the constitution.[123][124] Some contended that amending the constitution was unfeasible due to the government's insufficient number of MPs in parliament.[125] Mitsotakis's approach was viewed as a shortcut, which was widely considered unconstitutional, resulting in widespread protests against private institutions.[126][127][128]
In May 2024, he arrived in Ankara, Turkey, where he met with Turkish PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan.[132] The leaders discussed Middle East and Ukraine developments, reviewed bilateral relations, and agreed on enhancing trade and cooperation. They planned to meet again in September in New York. The Prime Minister emphasized resolving theCyprus dispute, highlighting its prolonged division.[133]
On 20 July 2024, Mitsotakis visited Nicosia, Cyprus, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of theTurkish invasion of Cyprus.[134] He declared that the Greeks "will not stop fighting until Cyprus is reunited."[135]
On 30 March 2025, Mitsotakis met with Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. The two "reaffirmed the strategic relationship between Greece and Israel" and discussed "the further deepening of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of defense."[136] The meeting sparked controversy, as Netanyahu waswanted by theInternational Criminal Court for allegedwar crimes in theGaza war.[137]
Mitsotakis is married toMareva Grabowska, an investment banker with British, Greek, Polish and Egyptian roots. They have three children, Sophia, Konstantinos and Daphne.[139]
In addition to Greek, Mitsotakis speaks English, French and some German.[140]
Venizelos/Mitsotakis family tree
Main members of the Venizelos/Mitsotakis family. Prime Ministers of Greece arehighlighted in light blue.
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