Apostolos Tzitzikostas is a person with experience in institutional roles both in Greece and Europe, where in 2020 he was elected President of the European Committee of the Regions. At the same time, the regional governor of Central Macedonia is a young man who has been elected three times with percentages above 50%, Mr. Marinakis said, and added: “The choice of Mr. Tzitzikostas is a politically characteristic choice that highlights the importance of Macedonia and Northern Greece for Europe as a region of strategic position, connectivity, and geopolitical significance for both the Balkans and Southeastern Europe, as well as being the northeastern edge of the Mediterranean.
Today at 18:00, the Prime Minister will meet Mr. Tzitzikostas at the Maximos Mansion.”
According to current information, the choice of Mr. Tzitzikostas had been finalized a while ago and was confirmed during the last discussion he had with Mr. Mitsotakis after the reception for the Restoration of Democracy at the Presidential Mansion. The final details were discussed during a meeting between the two men at Maximos, where the green light for the announcement was given.
The battle for the portfolio
The current question and the battle that will take place in Brussels concerns the portfolio that the Greek commissioner will take on, with the Transport portfolio being mentioned prominently in recent days but not yet “closed.” However, the reference made by the government spokesman regarding the highlighting of the importance of Macedonia and Northern Greece for Europe, as a region of strategic position, connectivity, and geopolitical significance for both the Balkans and Southeastern Europe, as well as being the northeastern edge of the Mediterranean, is interpreted as possibly hinting at the responsibilities that our country will assume in the new European Commission. Additionally, Mr. Tzitzikostas’ European experience is emphasized, as he is the first Greek to be elected to the leadership of a European body—having served as the president of the Committee of the Regions.
Who is Apostolos Tzitzikostas
The Apostolos Tzitzikostas was born on September 2, 1978. His father, Giorgos Tzitzikostas, was a deputy minister under Konstantinos Karamanlis and Minister of Macedonia – Thrace during Konstantinos Mitsotakis’s government. He studied Political Science, Foreign Policy, and Diplomacy at Georgetown University in Washington. He worked at the Office of the Chairman of the U.S. Congress Committee on Foreign Affairs. He obtained a master’s degree in European Public Administration and Economics from University College London. In 2002, he established his own business in Thessaloniki in the field of production, processing, and standardization of dairy products based on organic standards. He is married to entrepreneur Eleana Vlachou and has two children.
In the national elections of September 2007, he was elected MP for the A’ Electoral District of Thessaloniki. In the Regional Elections of November 2010, he was elected Vice Governor of Thessaloniki. In the Regional Elections of May 2014, he was elected Regional Governor of Central Macedonia. In the elections of May 2019 and October 2023, he was re-elected as Regional Governor of Central Macedonia. In November 2019, he was elected President of the Union of Regions of Greece and was re-elected President in February 2024.
Since 2015, he has been a member of the European Committee of the Regions. In July 2017, he was elected Head of the Greek Delegation and Vice President of the European Committee of the Regions. In February 2020, he was elected President of the European Committee of the Regions.
Specifically, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, in the parliamentary elections of September 16, 2007, was elected MP receiving 29,166 votes with the New Democracy ballot in the A’ Electoral District of Thessaloniki.
As an MP, he served as Secretary of the Hellenic Parliament, member of the Standing Committee on National Defense and Foreign Affairs, and the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs in the Hellenic Parliament. Additionally, he was a member of the Special Permanent Committee on European Community Affairs and the Special Committee on the Reform Treaty of the European Union.
In October 2007, he became deputy sectoral head of Foreign Affairs for New Democracy. He served as vice president of the friendship group of the Hellenic Parliament for Chile and participated in friendship groups for the United States of America, Russia, and China.
He represented the Hellenic Parliament in the Economic Committee of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly for the duration of 2007-2009.
In the national elections of October 4, 2009, he received 35,107 votes with the New Democracy ballot in the A’ Electoral District of Thessaloniki, placed fifth but was not elected as an MP.
In March 2010, he took on the role of deputy secretary for Overseas Greeks for New Democracy.
In the Regional Elections of November 14, 2010, he was elected Vice Governor of Thessaloniki. When Panagiotis Psomiadis was declared dismissed, he was elected Regional Governor of Central Macedonia, receiving 33 votes against 17 from his opponent Dionysis Psomiadis, a position he retained in the regional elections of 2014 when he ran as an independent candidate. In the first round, he received 322,829 votes (32.81%), while in the second round he received 562,964 votes (71.01%), with opponent Giannis Ioannidis from New Democracy.
In 2019, he successfully contested the position of Regional Governor again. He was elected in the first round of the elections with a percentage of 62.03% of the votes and 44 seats, which is also the largest percentage in the regional elections, compared to 11.47% and 8 seats for Christos Giannoulis from SYRIZA. In November 2019, he was elected President of the Union of Regions of Greece.
In 2023, he was re-elected as Regional Governor in the first round of elections, receiving a percentage of 60.28% and 40 seats, compared to 10.61% and 7 seats for the second competitor Christos Papastergiou from PASOK. In February 2024, he was re-elected President of the Union of Regions of Greece in February 2024.
In 2015, he was a candidate for President of New Democracy.
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