In a letter to the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras stated that he is appointing Dimitris Avramopoulos, Greek Minister of National Defence, as Greek Commissioner.
Originally a diplomat, Dimitris Avramopoulos, has served in many ministerial posts including that of Foreign Minister. He is known not only for his diplomatic skills but also for his old-fashioned, non-technocratic approach and is considered a heavyweight politician.
In order for Avramopoulos to assume his duties in the European Commission, he must first resign as an MP. The seat of Avramopoulos in the Greek Parliament will be filled by Thanos Plevris of New Democracy.
Even though Avramopoulos will be in charge of the Ministry of Defence’s portofolio, there is still the question of who will be replacing him as minister. At the moment the government is considering Deputy Minister of Defence Fofi Gennimata, General Frangos Frangoulis, and Evripidis Stylianidis. But the battle for succession has only begun.
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