Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is leaning towards nominating Central Macedonia Governor Apostolos Tzitzikostas as the new European commissioner for Greece, Kathimerini understands.

The decision is not final and depends on the type of portfolio Greece is offered. But it is certain that the current Vice-President and Commissioner for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, has been told that he will not be part of the 2024-29 Commission.

Tzitzikostas, a 45-year-old economist and politician – his late father was a member of parliament and a minister – has been governor of Central Macedonia since January 2013, when he replaced his predecessor, Panagiotis Psomiadis, who was convicted of dereliction of duty.

More importantly for Mitsotakis, Tzitzikostas is popular in Central Macedonia, where the ruling New Democracy suffered significant losses to the far right in the June 9 European Parliament elections. Tzitzikostas is known to be popular with the kind of populist right-wing supporters who deserted New Democracy. His appointment would be welcomed by the kind of voter who feels that Mitsotakis has appointed too many centrists, or former moderate socialists, to government positions and who despaired over Mitsotakis’s advocacy for, and passage of, a law legalizing gay marriage.

Until recently, Interior Minister Niki Kerameus was said to be the favorite to replace Schinas at the Commission. But the name could resurface: recently reappointed Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asked government leaders to nominate as many women as possible for Commission posts, but so far they have almost unanimously nominated men. So von der Leyen could pressure her allies to nominate women.