Greece swears in three deputy ministers after Tsavdaridis resigns over daughter's handball case

A limited reshuffle with three moves

The oath was taken before President Konstantinos Tasoulas, with Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis present, at the Presidential Mansion on Friday, 13 November 2026. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the changes after Lazaros Tsavdaridis left his post as deputy minister of development. The reshuffle involves one transfer, one first-time entry into government and one return to a former post.

Spanakis moves, Liakos enters government

Vasilis Spanakis leaves the Interior Ministry for the Ministry of Development, where he takes over oversight of the General Secretariat of Commerce. He replaces Tsavdaridis in that role. His previous post at Interior is filled by Vangelis Liakos, a West Attica MP who enters the government for the first time. Liakos is 37, which makes him the youngest member of the government.

The circumstances of Tsavdaridis's exit

Tsavdaridis resigned after a complaint over the fictitious enrolment of his daughter in a handball team in Pylaia, near Thessaloniki, in northern Greece. The team's purpose was to secure additional points for her entry to higher education through the Panhellenic exams. MEGA exposed the case, according to the reporting of in.gr. Tsavdaridis was the deputy minister for development before the resignation.

Vartzopoulos returns to Health

Dimitris Vartzopoulos returns to the Ministry of Health as deputy minister with responsibility for mental health, the same post he held before. He had left the government some months earlier because of his involvement in the case file on the OPEKEPE investigation. According to the articles, that case has now been archived. His name is also tied to the bill on the Completion of Psychiatric Reform, which parliament passed in July 2024.

Industry portfolio stays with the minister

The Industry portfolio does not pass to Spanakis as deputy minister of development. It stays directly with Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos. Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis had announced the decision in advance, saying the portfolio carries particular weight and the government considers it should be supervised at ministerial level.