Kostas Bakoyannis

Kostas Bakoyannis
Name	Kostas Bakoyannis
Native name	Κώστας Μπακογιάννης
Office	Regional Governor of Central Greece
Term start	1 September 2019
Office1	Mayor of Athens
Term start1	1 September 2019
Birth date	1968-03-31
Birth place	Athens, Greece
Party	New Democracy

Kostas Bakoyannis is a Greek politician who has served as Regional Governor of Central Greece and previously as Mayor of Athens, with a career spanning municipal administration, regional governance, and national politics. He is a member of New Democracy and belongs to a prominent political family tied to multiple generations of Greek public life. His tenure has involved urban policy, regional development, and responses to fiscal, infrastructural, and public health challenges.

Early life and education

Born in Athens into a family with deep roots in Greek politics, he is the son of Dora Bakoyannis and grandson of Konstantinos Mitsotakis, linking him to the Mitsotakis family. He studied at Georgetown University, the University of Oxford, and completed doctoral work at Harvard University, engaging with scholars from Harvard Kennedy School, Oxford Union, and institutions such as Princeton University and Yale University. During his studies he interacted with networks tied to European People's Party think tanks, Atlantic Council, and academic centres like Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University.

Political career

Bakoyannis entered public life amid debates involving PASOK and New Democracy factions, parliamentary dynamics in the Hellenic Parliament, and municipal contests in Athens. He served in advisory roles linked to mayors from Dimitris Avramopoulos to Nikos Kaklamanis and worked alongside figures from SYRIZA, Kinal, and Greek Communist Party coalitions on urban issues. His candidature invoked reactions from leaders including Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Antonis Samaras, and EU officials such as Ursula von der Leyen and Jean-Claude Juncker regarding European funding and cohesion policy. He has interacted with institutions like European Commission, Council of Europe, and European Investment Bank on municipal financing.

Tenure as Mayor of Athens

As mayor, he focused on urban renewal projects, public space management, and tourism-related infrastructure connecting Acropolis, Plaka, and the Port of Piraeus. Initiatives referenced collaboration with bodies like UNESCO, International Olympic Committee, and European Capitals of Culture networks, while engaging contractors from Athens Chamber of Commerce and consultants with ties to McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group. He navigated crises involving public health tied to COVID-19 pandemic in Greece and coordinated with Hellenic National Public Health Organization and World Health Organization representatives, while addressing transport issues involving Athens Metro, OASA (Athens Urban Transport Organization), and projects linked to Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport. His administration dealt with tensions with national ministries led by Ministry of Interior (Greece) and interacted with mayors from Thessaloniki and European peers from Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome on urban policy exchange.

Governance as Regional Governor of Central Greece

As governor he administered programs tied to regional development funds from the European Regional Development Fund and managed disaster response related to wildfires and floods, coordinating with Hellenic Fire Service, Civil Protection (Greece), and European Civil Protection Mechanism. He engaged with agricultural stakeholders in Thessaly, infrastructure projects connecting to the E65 motorway and rail links to Thessaloniki, while liaising with regional councils across Boeotia, Euboea, and Phthiotis. His office sought investment from entities like Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations, Hellenic Petroleum, and regional chambers such as Federation of Hellenic Associations in Europe, and negotiated with labour representatives from General Confederation of Greek Workers and GSEE on employment programs.

Political positions and policies

He positions himself within the centre-right spectrum of New Democracy, emphasizing modernization, transparency, and fiscal responsibility in line with criteria set by European Commission fiscal frameworks and recommendations from International Monetary Fund, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and European Investment Bank. He has advocated municipal reforms resonant with documents from Council of Europe and United Nations Human Settlements Programme, proposed measures on public safety referencing collaboration with Hellenic Police and legal frameworks in the Constitution of Greece, and supported digital governance aligned with initiatives by Digital Greece and European Digital Single Market. His stances on migration have intersected with policies from European Union migration compacts and bilateral talks with countries such as Turkey and Germany.

Personal life and family background

He belongs to a family that includes prominent figures like Dora Bakoyannis, former Minister for Foreign Affairs (Greece), and Kyriakos Mitsotakis, former Prime Minister of Greece, reflecting ties to the Mitsotakis family dynasty and networks spanning Greek parliamentary history, including links to Constantine Mitsotakis and other politicians from Crete and Chania. His private life has appeared in coverage alongside cultural institutions like National Archaeological Museum, Athens and events connected to Thessaloniki International Fair and Athens Epidaurus Festival. He has participated in dialogues with civic organizations such as Museum of Cycladic Art, Onassis Foundation, and Hellenic American Union.

Category:Greek politicians Category:New Democracy (Greece) politicians