Kouroumplis new Greek Shipping Minister in cabinet reshuffle

Panagiotis Kouroumplis, 65, a veteran socialist and the ex-Interior minister and Social Solidarity Minister replaces Dritsas, who had headed up the at the Shipping Ministry since Syriza came to power in January, 2015.

The shipping ministry has been expanded and Nektarios Santorinios takes on the newly created post of deputy minister and is expected to to drive island policy, so important to the vast Greek archipelago.

During the handover, 7 November, an emotional Dritsas stressed his removal was not voluntary but refused to elaborate, referring to issues he had tackled but still have to be solved. These include the competitiveness of shipping, maritime education, port infrastructure and labour issues.

Kouroumplis, who in 1996 became the first blind member of the Greek parliament, made a policy speech focusing on the potential of Greek shipping. Santorinios addressed island policy and local economy issues.

Tsipras’ reshuffle was aimed at speeding up reforms that Athens has agreed with its international creditors under its latest bailout deal. At the fore among these are a number of long-delayed privatizations, with Dritsas openly an opponent of privatising Greece’s ports and the introduction of labour collective agreement for seafarers as sought by shipowners. .

Privatisation of Greece’s second-largest port, the northern Greek gateway of Thessaloniki, will be a priority for Kouroumplis. Eight potential bidders were cleared for entering the second phase of the tender for 67% of the port authority’s shares and the sale now looks likely to come to a conclusion in February.

The state asset fund then has another 10 smaller ports lined up but officially is still “in the process of evaluating the most appropriate approach for the development of these ports”.

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