Kostis Hatzidakis
A center-right political stalwart who has navigated Greece's economic storms, holding key economic and labor portfolios during turbulent times.
Born 1965 (age 61)·Greek politician·Birthday: April 20·Generation X
Biography
Kostis Hatzidakis has been a fixture in Greek politics since the 1990s, rising through the ranks of the New Democracy party as a pragmatic and resilient figure. His career has been defined by steering economic policy through crisis, first as Minister of Development during the late 2000s and later, most crucially, as Minister of Labor during the country's grueling debt crisis in the 2010s. In that role, he was at the center of implementing tough austerity measures and labor market reforms demanded by international creditors, a position that made him a target of public anger but also a key executor of government strategy. His return to high office in the Mitsotakis government, first as Minister of Energy and later as Deputy Prime Minister, underscores his party's enduring trust in his experience and managerial steadiness.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Kostis was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kostis Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Kostis's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Minister of Labor and Social Security during the peak of Greece's sovereign debt crisis, overseeing major reforms.
- Held the position of Minister of Development, Competitiveness and Shipping, managing key economic sectors.
- Elected as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament for the Athens B constituency consistently since 2007.
- Appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State in the Second Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis in 2023.
Did You Know?
He holds a law degree from the University of Athens and a Master's in European Law from the University of Leicester.
Hatzidakis served as a Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2007.
He is the Vice President of the New Democracy party.
He first entered the Hellenic Parliament in 1990, representing the Larissa constituency.
“We must build an economy that works for the shopkeeper in Thessaloniki.”
