Kostas Bakoyannis
Κώστας Μπακογιάννης
Leader of the Opposition of Athens
Assumed office
1 January 2024
Preceded byNasos Iliopoulos
Mayor of Athens
In office
1 September 2019 – 31 December 2023
Preceded byGeorgios Mproulias
Succeeded byHaris Doukas
Regional Governor of Central Greece
In office
1 September 2014 – 31 August 2019
Preceded byKlearchos Pergantas
Succeeded byFanis Spanos
Mayor of Karpenisi
In office
1 January 2011 – 31 August 2014
Preceded byVasileios Karampas
Succeeded byNikos Souliotis
Personal details
Born (1978-03-16) 16 March 1978 (age 45)
Athens, Greece
Political partyNew Democracy
RelativesDora Bakoyannis (mother)
Pavlos Bakoyannis (father)
Kyriakos Mitsotakis (uncle)
EducationBrown University (BA)
Harvard University (MPA)
St Antony's College, Oxford (PhD)

Kostas Bakoyannis (Greek: Κώστας Μπακογιάννης; born 16 March 1978) is a Greek politician. He serves as leader of the opposition of Athens from 2024. Furthermore, he served mayor of Athens from 2019 to 2023, as governor of Central Greece from 2014 to 2019 and as mayor of the town of Karpenisi from 2011 to 2014.

Early life and education

Born 1978 in Athens to New Democracy politicians Dora and Pavlos Bakoyannis, Kostas Bakoyannis lost his father Pavlos in 1989, when he was assassinated by the leftist terrorist group,[1] Revolutionary Organization 17 November. He studied history and International Relations at Brown University and graduated from Harvard with a Master of Public Administration. He holds a PhD thesis at St Antony's College, Oxford, in the field of Political Science and International Relations. [2] He speaks English and German.[3] Kostas Bakoyannis’ articles are often published in the Greek and foreign press.[4]

His uncle is the current Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and his maternal grandfather was the former prime minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis.

Career

Mayor of Karpenisi (2011–2014)

In August 2010, Bakoyannis announced to run for mayoral office as an independent candidate in the small town of Karpenisi in Evrytania, where his father had originally come from. New Democracy decided not to challenge Bakoyannis with a candidate of its own,[5] though the party had expelled his mother Dora in May for voting in favor of the austerity measures proposed by the Papandreou government.[6]

Kostas Bakoyannis won the local elections with 54.3%. In a To Vima interview he strongly defended the bailout deal stating that "where we have come to after all the crimes that the Greek political system made over the past 30 years, we had no choice but the Memorandum." He said that he wouldn't rule out joining the new Democratic Alliance party his mother had founded, and that "Greece needs suicidal governments ready to kill themselves to save the country."[7]

Regional governor of Central Greece (2014–2019)

During his third year as Mayor of Karpenisi, Bakoyannis decided to run for the governorship of Central Greece, again as an independent. His decision to leave the Mayorship was initiated by a growing number of citizen’s voices [8] from the greater Central Greece area, not only Karpenisi, who saw the risks and the opportunities that were coming up ahead for their area in the next 5 year term of the new Governor, and wanted a results oriented, tested and tried candidate for the job.[9] He was however backed by New Democracy, which again nominated no candidate of its own, and clearly won the 2014 regional election with 56.06% in the second round, defeating Syriza's candidate Evangelos Apostolou.[10]

Mayor of Athens (2019–2023)

Bakoyannis was elected Mayor of Athens after the local elections of 2019 and took office on 1 September 2019.

Bakoyannis lost re-election in 2023, being defeated by Haris Doukas.[11]

Other activities

Personal life

He has four children, Pavlos, Olympia, Danai and Dimos.

Main members of the Venizelos/Mitsotakis/Bakoyannis family.[13] Prime Ministers of Greece are highlighted in light blue.
Kyriakos Venizelos [la]
(?–1883)		Styliani Ploumidaki
(1830–1897)
Eleftherios Venizelos
(1864–1936)		Katingo Venizelou
(1858–1934)		Constantine "Costis" Mitsotakis [el]
(1845–1898)
Kyriakos Venizelos [el]
(1892–1942)		Sofoklis Venizelos
(1894–1964)		Kyriakos Mitsotakis [el]
(1892–1942)		Stavroula Ploumidaki[14]
(1896–1983)
Nikitas Venizelos
(1930–2020)		Konstantinos Mitsotakis
(1918–2017)		Marika Giannoukou
(1930–2012)
Pavlos Bakoyannis
(1935–1989)		Dora Bakoyannis
née Mitsotaki
(b. 1954)		Kyriakos Mitsotakis
(b. 1968)
Kostas Bakoyannis
(b. 1978)

References

  1. ^ "Foreign Terrorist Organizations". National Counterterrorism Center. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  2. ^ "The great debate: disruptions, identity politics and foreign policy in post-Cold War Greece". 30 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Kostas Bakoyannis". 16 April 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  4. ^ Bakoyannis, Kostas (16 April 2012). "Greece Must Stay on the Side of Europe". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  5. ^ Tzotzadini, Anny (24 August 2010). "Costas Bakoyannis Runs for Karpenisi Mayor". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  6. ^ Aftzigianni, Venetia (20 November 2010). "Dora Bakoyannis to Launch New Political Party on Sunday". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  7. ^ "Show business, politics and mayoral elections". GRReporter. 18 November 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Για περιφερειάρχης ο Κώστας Μπακογιάννης". evrytanika.gr. 28 December 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  9. ^ "Υποψήφιος Περιφερειάρχης Στερεάς Ελλάδας ο Κώστας Μπακογιάννης". enikos.gr. 28 December 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  10. ^ "Local elections: Dourou wins Attica, Kaminis reelected in Athens". To Vima. 26 May 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  11. ^ "Bakoyannis concedes defeat in Athens mayoral race". Kathimerini. 15 October 2023.
  12. ^ Members European Council on Foreign Relations.
  13. ^ Constantine Mitsotakis institute. "Biography – Roots". Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  14. ^ Stavroula Ploumidaki is also a first cousin, once removed, of Eleftherios Venizelos
Categories