Sotiris M. Chatzigakis

Sotiris Chatzigakis, born at Trikala in the Thessaly region of central Greece, belongs to a family of ancient renown that has been a force in Greek politics ever since the end of the nineteenth century. He studied Law and Economics at the University of Athens and completed his post-graduate studies in France and in the United Kingdom, specializing in Political and Social Sciences (1971-1974). He joined Nea Demokratia [New Democracy] when the party was founded by Constantine Karamanlis. He was elected Deputy for Trikala in 1974, and has held the seat at the General Elections of 1977, 1981, 1985, June and November 1989, 1990, 1993, 2000, 2004, 2007 and 2009. In 1989 he was appointed Alternate Minister of the National Economy, and Minister of Labour. In 1990 he was appointed Alternate Minister of Trade and then, from 1991 to 1992, Minister of Agriculture. In March 2004 he was elected First Deputy Speaker in the Greek Parliament and Chairman of the Standing Committee on European Affairs. In September 2007 he was appointed Minister of Justice and in January 2009, Minister of Rural Development and Food. Mr. Chatzigakis is the author of numerous articles and studies on political, social and economic affairs for a number of Greek newspapers and magazines. He participates in many international conferences and parliamentary missions. The books which he has published in Greek include: China Diary 1978 (1980); The Ideology of the Middle Ground (1981); Social Liberalism (1989); No Compromises (1996); A Social Revolution – towards a Society with no One-Way Streets (1999); The Greek Identity in the New World Order (2002); Zero Point for Greek farmers (2004); Grains of Knowledge and Wisdom (2004); Europe and Globalization (2007); The Face of Today's World (2009). He is married to Mirella Vafiadi and has two sons – Michael and Nikiforos-Spyros.

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