Yannis Dragasakis Explained

Yannis Dragasakis
Office:Deputy Prime Minister of Greece
Term Start:23 September 2015
Term End:8 July 2019
Primeminister:Alexis Tsipras
Successor:Panagiotis Pikrammenos
Term Start1:27 January 2015
Term End1:28 August 2015
Primeminister1:Alexis Tsipras
Predecessor1:Evangelos Venizelos
Office2:Minister for Economy and Development
Term Start2:28 February 2018
Term End2:8 July 2019
Primeminister2:Alexis Tsipras
Predecessor2:Dimitri B. Papadimitriou
Successor2:Adonis Georgiadis
Office3:4th Deputy Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament
Term Start3:2012
Term End3:2014
Predecessor3:Tasos Kourakis
Successor3:Nikitas Kaklamanis
Term Start4:7 October 2008
Term End4:14 October 2009
Successor4:Athanasios Leventis
Office5:Alternate Minister of National Economy
Term Start5:13 November 1989
Term End5:13 February 1990
Primeminister5:Xenophon Zolotas
Office6:Member of the Hellenic Parliament
for Athens B
Term Start6:22 September 1996
Term End6:7 September 2009
Term Start7:6 May 2012
Term End7:28 August 2015
Office8:Member of the Hellenic Parliament for
Chania
Term Start8:5 November 1989
Term End8:22 September 1996
Birth Date:1 January 1947
Birth Place:Anatoli, Lasithi, Greece
Party:Syriza (2013–2024)
Otherparty:Synaspismos

Yannis Dragasakis (; born 1 January 1947) is a Greek politician and who served as Deputy Prime Minister of Greece from 27 January to 28 August 2015 and 23 September 2015 to 8 July 2019. He is a member of the Greek Parliament for the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) for the Athens B constituency.

Early life and education

Dragasakis was born in the village of Anatoli, Lasithi, Crete. He studied political science and economics in Greece and at London School of Economics and has worked as an economist, researcher and business advisor [1] for different companies in Europe. He was a member of the mission of the Greek Parliament in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.[2] [3]

Political career

He was a prominent member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece until 1991 when he resigned to join Synaspismos, and became one of their founding members. He later became a member of Syriza.

Dragasakis was first elected as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament (MP) in 1989 for the Coalition of the Left of Movements and Ecology, in the constituency of Chania. He was re-elected in 1996 for Athens B. At all subsequent elections, he has been re-elected, but since 2004, he has stood for Syriza.

On 13 November 1989, he was appointed Alternate Minister of National Economy in the Ecumenical Cabinet of Xenophon Zolotas, and served in this role until 13 February 1990, when he was removed in a cabinet reshuffle.

On 7 October 2008, he was elected as Deputy Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament, the first Deputy Speaker from Syriza's parliamentary group. He served for a one-year period, but was elected again in 2012, serving the whole legislative period until December 2014.[4]

Dragasakis is one of the "economic quartet" of Syriza, the four main economists responsible for their economic policy, alongside Euclid Tsakalotos, Giorgos Stathakis and John Milios.

Deputy Prime Minister

Following the January 2015 legislative election, Syriza formed a coalition government with ANEL. Alexis Tsipras, the leader of Syriza, became Prime Minister, and in turn appointed Dragasakis as Deputy Prime Minister. In March 2015, Dragasakis co-authored an article in the Financial Times with Yanis Varoufakis and Euclid Tsakalotos that asked Greece's creditors to give them a chance.[5]

After Yanis Varoufakis, the Minister of Finance, resigned on 6 July, Dragasakis was named as a potential successor.[6] Varoufakis was later succeeded by Euclid Tsakalotos.

Personal life

Dragasakis speaks English as well as Greek. He has two daughters, Marianna and Rinio.[7] Friends have described him as "rigid and inflexible in terms of socialist perspective", but also tactical as he "the realism of everyday life". He has also been described as "grounded in reality".[8]

According to Stathis Kouvelakis, former Syriza spokesperson, Dragasakis is widely considered to have strong personal relationships with the Greek bankers,[9] going back to his early career.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2015-02-01. Who Is Who in the New Greek Government. 2022-02-22. GreekReporter.com. en-US.
  2. http://www.grreporter.info/en/who_hiding_behind_economic_programme_syriza/7063 Who is hiding behind the economic programme of SYRIZA
  3. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/30/how-british-universities-helped-mould-syriza-political-elite How British universities helped mould Syriza’s political elite
  4. Web site: Former Deputy Speakers. Hellenic Parliament. 14 March 2015.
  5. News: All we ask is that Europe give Greece a chance. Dragasakis. Yannis. 17 March 2015. Financial Times. 29 January 2016.
  6. News: Brinded. Lisa. One of these four people will replace Yanis Varoufakis. 13 August 2015. Business Insider UK. 6 July 2015.
  7. Web site: Ioannis Dragasakis. Hellenic Parliament. 13 August 2015.
  8. News: Who is hiding behind the economic programme of SYRIZA. 13 August 2015. GR Reporter. 5 June 2012.
  9. News: 2020-03-07. Greece: The Struggle Continues. Jacobin. Sebastian Budgen. 2015-07-14.
  10. Book: Yanis Varoufakis. Yanis Varoufakis. Adults in the room: my battle with europe's deep establishment. 3 May 2018 . 978-1-78470-576-3. 85. Vintage .