Kostis Chatzidakis

Konstantinos ( Kostis ) Chatzidakis (Greek Κωστής Χατζηδάκης, born 1965 in Rethymno, Crete ) is a Greek conservative politician. He is Minister of Economic Affairs in the government of Andonis Samaras.

Chatzidakis studied law at Athens University and continued his studies at the University of Kent continued.

He was Secretary General of the DAP- NDFK, one of the New Democracy party affiliated student union, and chairman of the ONNED, the youth organization of the ND. 1994 to 2007 he was a member of the European Parliament. There he worked as a representative of the European People's Party, Chairman of the Committee on Transport and Regional Policy. In the election in September 2007, he was first elected to the Greek Parliament. From September 2007 to January 2009, he was Minister of Transport and Communications, then to October 2009 Minister for Development in the Cabinet of Kostas Karamanlis. In the elections in October 2009, September 2007, May 2012 and June 2012, he was re-elected as an MP.

On 15 December 2010 Chatzidakis was attacked when leaving an office building of violent demonstrators who had a previously peaceful demonstration of 200 left connected, protesting against the economic policies of the country. Chatzidakis was seriously injured. Prior to this, it was common in Greece that even high-ranking politicians moved without any protection of persons in the public.

In June 2012, he was appointed as Minister of Development, Competitiveness and Transport ( Minister of Economy ) in the cabinet of Prime Minister Andonis Samaras.