Kostas Bakoyannis

Kostas Bakoyannis (Greek: Κώστας Μπακογιάννης; born 16 March 1978 in Athens) is a Greek politician. Having served as mayor of the town of Karpenisi, he was popularly elected Regional governor of Central Greece in the 2014 local elections. In June 2019, he was elected as the new Mayor of Athens starting from 25 August 2019.

Kostas Bakoyannis
Κώστας Μπακογιάννης
Mayor of Athens
Assumed office
1 September 2019
Preceded byGeorgios Mproulias
Regional Governor of Central Greece
In office
1 September 2014 – 31 August 2019
Preceded byKlearchos Pergantas
Succeeded byFanis Spanos
Personal details
Born (1978-03-16) 16 March 1978
Athens, Greece
Political partyNew Democracy
RelativesDora Bakoyannis (Mother)
Pavlos Bakoyannis (Father)
EducationBrown University (BA)
Harvard University (MPA)
St Antony's College, Oxford

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 is currently working on his PhD thesis at St Antony's College, Oxford, in the field of Political Science and International Relations. He speaks English and German.[2] Kostas Bakoyannis’ articles are often published in the Greek and foreign press.[3]

Career

Mayor of Karpenisi

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,[4] though the party had expelled his mother Dora in May for voting in favor of the austerity measures proposed by the Papandreou government.[5]

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."[6]

Regional governor of Central Greece

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 [7] 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.[8] 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.[9]

Mayor of Athens

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

Other activities

Personal life

He has four children Pavlos, Olympia, Danai, Dimos, with three different women.

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