Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou
A key Greek Socialist politician who navigated the nation's financial crisis from the critical posts of Health and European Affairs minister.
Born 1963 (age 63)·Greek politician·Birthday: February 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou's career maps onto a turbulent period in modern Greek history, where technocratic skill met profound political challenge. A lawyer by training, she rose within the PASOK party, entering the European Parliament in 2004. Her moment of greatest trial and responsibility came after the 2009 election, as Greece plunged into a debt crisis that shook Europe. She was first appointed Minister for Health and Social Solidarity, tasked with steering a vital department under the strain of austerity. In 2010, she shifted to the crucial role of Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, specifically handling European Affairs. In this hot seat, she became one of Greece's primary negotiators with EU institutions and the IMF during the bailout talks, a relentless process of summits and scrutiny. After a period out of parliament, she returned in 2019, now representing the Syriza party, demonstrating her enduring presence in Greece's complex political landscape.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Mariliza was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mariliza Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Mariliza's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
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
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Greece's Minister for Health and Social Solidarity during the onset of the severe sovereign debt crisis in 2009-2010.
- Acted as Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs responsible for European Affairs (2010-2012), a key negotiator in EU/IMF bailout discussions.
- Elected as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament for multiple terms, representing both PASOK and later the Syriza party.
Did You Know?
She served as the Secretary of the National Committee of PASOK, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, from 2005 to 2006.
She was a member of the Party of European Socialists bureau during her time in the European Parliament.
She holds a law degree from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
“A nation's finances are its foundation. Without that strength, every promise is just air.”
