Mavroudis (Makis) Voridis (; born 1964) is a

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

with the

New Democracy New Democracy, or the New Democratic Revolution, is a type of democracy in Marxism, based on Mao Zedong's Bloc of Four Social Classes theory in post-revolutionary China which argued originally that democracy in China would take a path that w ...

and a

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, who serves as the current Minister for Migration and Asylum. He was previously involved in

far-right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...

politics and associated with dictator

Georgios Papadopoulos Georgios Papadopoulos (; ; 5 May 1919 – 27 June 1999) was a Greek military officer and dictator who led a coup d'etat in Greece in 1967 and became the country's Prime Minister from 1967 to 1973. He also was the President of Greece under th ...

.. A member of the

Hellenic Parliament The Parliament of the Hellenes (), commonly known as the Hellenic Parliament (), is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Greece, located in the Old Royal Palace, overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens. The parliament is the supreme demo ...

since 2011, Voridis previously served as Minister of the State in the Second Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis (2023 - 2025),

Minister for the Interior Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

(2021 - 2023), and Minister for Rural Development and Food (2019 - 2021) in the First Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis,

Minister for Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare spending and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental heal ...

in the

Cabinet of Antonis Samaras The Cabinet of Antonis Samaras succeeded the Caretaker Cabinet of Panagiotis Pikrammenos after the repeated legislative elections in May and June 2012. The cabinet The cabinet was sworn in on Thursday, 21 June 2012. The former ministries of ...

(2014–2015), and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Networks in the

Cabinet of Lucas Papademos The Cabinet of Lucas Papademos succeeded the cabinet of George Papandreou, as an interim three-party coalition cabinet, leading a coalition government formed by the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) party, New Democracy party and Popula ...

(2011–2012).

Early life and education

Makis Voridis was born in Athens on 23 August 1964 and has one brother, Konstantinos. His father, Christos, had served in the National Army during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. His uncle was Eutychios Voridis, a renown professor of

cardiology Cardiology () is the study of the heart. Cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery di ...

. Voridis graduated from

Athens College Athens College (; formally Hellenic-American Educational Foundation (HAEF), Ελληνο-Αμερικανικό Εκπαιδευτικό Ίδρυμα) is a co-educational private preparatory school in Psychiko, Greece, a suburb of Athens, par ...

, where he was active in the far-right student organisation "Free Students", and acquired his degree in the Law School of the

University of Athens The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; , ''Ethnikó kai Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the University of Athens (UoA), is a public university in Athens, Greece, with various campuses alo ...

. During his time at the University of Athens, he was the leader of the far-right student group "Student Alternative" on account of which he was expelled from the

students' union A students' union or student union, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, organizat ...

. He has subsequently rejected any connection with

far-right politics Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and Nativism (politics), nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on ...

and, in an interview to''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', denied all allegations of crypto-fascism,

antisemitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

, or

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...

, describing himself as a

national liberal National liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal policies and issues with elements of nationalism. Historically, national liberalism has also been used in the same meaning as conservative liberalism (right-liberalism). A serie ...

with a right-wing activist background as a student. Voridis studied at

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

wherefrom he acquired his

Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject. In many jurisdi ...

with merit, with specialty in

international commercial law International commercial law is a body of legal rules, conventions, treaties, domestic legislation and commercial customs or usages, that governs international commercial or business transactions. A transaction will qualify to be international if ...

criminal law Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. It proscribes conduct perceived as threatening, harmful, or otherwise endangering to the property, health, safety, and Well-being, welfare of people inclusive of one's self. Most criminal l ...

, and the

philosophy of law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

Political career

Far-right activism and politics

In 1985, Voridis was appointed secretary general of the youth wing of the National Political Union (EPEN), a far-right political party founded by the jailed former dictator

, leader of the 1967 military coup. Voridis succeeded in the youth leadership Nikolaos Michaloliakos, who went on to lead Golden Dawn, and remained in that position until 1990. During his

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer military, volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such ...

from 1992 to 1993, Voridis graduated class leader in Armour School and served as an Armour Cadet Reserve Officer, with the rank of second lieutenant. In 1994, he founded was elected president of the far-right

Hellenic Front The Hellenic Front () was a Greek political party with an ultranationalist platform, founded in 1994. Its declared ''raison d'être'' was to raise national conscience and inspire freedom, creativity, and development by reversing what it sees as de ...

party, whose motto was "Red Card to Illegal Immigrants". He unsuccessfully ran for

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

mayor in 1998 and 2002. In the national elections of 2000, he ran without success together with

fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...

Konstantinos Plevris. In the next general election, in 2004, the Front gathered only approximately 7 thousand votes or 0.1% of the total, and, within a year, ceased its political activity and merged with the Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) party, with Voridis becoming member of the LAOS leading council. In the 2006 local elections, Voridis later ran in the LAOS ticket for

East Attica East Attica () is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Attica. The regional unit covers the eastern part of the urban agglomeration of Athens, and also the rural area to its east. Administration The regional unit East ...

and, after gaining 5% of the vote, was elected prefectural councillor. On 16 September 2007, running with the LAOS ticket, he was elected Member of the

Greek Parliament The Parliament of the Hellenes (), commonly known as the Hellenic Parliament (), is the unicameral legislature of Greece, located in the Old Royal Palace, overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens. The parliament is the supreme democratic instit ...

, with 8,663 direct votes in the

Attica Attica (, ''Attikḗ'' (Ancient Greek) or , or ), or the Attic Peninsula, is a historical region that encompasses the entire Athens metropolitan area, which consists of the city of Athens, the capital city, capital of Greece and the core cit ...

district.

Parliamentary career and government

In November 2011, after the outbreak of the

Greek government-debt crisis Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family ** Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kn ...

, Voridis was appointed Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, and Networks in the

coalition government A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a government by political parties that enter into a power-sharing arrangement of the executive. Coalition governments usually occur when no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an ...

headed by

Lucas Papademos Lucas Demetrios Papademos (; born 11 October 1947) is a Greek economist and academic who served as Prime Minister of Greece from November 2011 to May 2012, leading a national unity government in the wake of the Greek government debt crisis, Greek ...

. In February 2012, after the introduction in the Parliament of the

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pl ...

enacting the second bailout package, Voridis, dissenting from the LAOS line, came out in support of the bill and was expelled from the party, though he retained his portfolio after consultations with the prime minister. A few days later, he joined

and surrendered his parliamentary seat to LAOS. As Minister, Voridis proceeded to open up to competition professional sectors such as drivers, a measure he had previously opposed. On 10 June 2014, Voridis was appointed

by prime minister

Antonis Samaras Antonis Samaras (, ; born 23 May 1951) is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece from 2012 to 2015. A member of the New Democracy (Greece), New Democracy party, he was its president from 2009 until 2015. Samaras started his na ...

. His appointment was reportedly criticised by members of the Greek Jewish community. Voridis served as chief parliamentary representative of the New Democracy party during the period 2012-24. On 9 July 2019, he was appointed Minister for Rural Development and Food in the cabinet of

leader and prime minister

Kyriakos Mitsotakis Kyriakos Mitsotakis (, ; born 4 March 1968) is a Greek politician currently serving as the prime minister of Greece since July 2019, except for a month between May and June 2023. Mitsotakis has been president of the New Democracy (Greece), New ...

. A senior Israeli diplomat stated to the ''

Jerusalem Post ''The Jerusalem Post'' is an English-language Israeli broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, Israel, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Je ...

'' that Israel will not work with the new minister.

World Jewish Congress The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is an international federation of Jewish communities and organizations, founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in August 1936. According to its mission statement, the World Jewish Congress's main purpose is to act as ...

head

Ronald Lauder Ronald Steven Lauder (born February 26, 1944) is an American businessman and pro-Israel political activist. He and his brother, Leonard Lauder, are the sole heirs to the Estée Lauder Companies, Estée Lauder cosmetics company, founded by their ...

issued a statement after the election saying that prime minister Mitsotakis "is a true ally of Israel and has always demonstrated deep support and friendship for the Jewish community in Greece," and pointing out the "need to eradicate any and all remnants of antisemitism and neo-Nazi ideology from within the country." On 5 January 2021, he was appointed

, a position he held until 23 April 2023. On 27 June 2023, he assumed the portfolio of Minister of the State. On 15 March 2025, he was sworn in as Minister for Migration and Asylum. In 2025, he introduced a bill aimed at "tightening" the country’s immigration framework that will introduce stricter measures for migrants who remain in the country illegally after being denied asylum. He pointed to the "broader shift in European migration policy":

In the past, there was the illusion that benefits and integration policies would solve the problem. This has collapsed. Europe has changed its strategy. Now the priority is effective border security and the return of illegal immigrants.

On gay marriage

Same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...

was legalized in

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

on 16 February 2024, when the relevant legislation was signed into law, after being approved in parliament by 175 votes supporting it, 77 opposing it, 46 abstentions, and 2 declarations of being present. During the parliamentary debate on the legislation,In the 300-member Parliament of Greece, a

simple majority Simple majority may refer to: * Majority, a voting requirement of more than half of all votes cast * Plurality (voting), a voting requirement of more votes cast for a proposition than for any other option * First-past-the-post voting, the single-win ...

of 151 supporting votes was required. which was submitted by the recently re-elected New Democracy government, Voridis expressed his opposition, citing the ostensible need to first redefine constitutionally the institution of marriage, and abstained from the vote. Twenty-one MPs from the New Democracy ruling party voted against the bill, while thirty-one, including Voridis, abstained from the vote. The majority of opposition MPs voted in support of it. Greece, thus, became the 16th

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

country and the first Christian Orthodox-majority country to legalize same-sex marriage.

On antisemitism

Voridis has admitted his many years of coexistence with anti-Semites, but declared that he is "pro-Israel" and that he has never been an anti-Semite. In 2019, he visited the Jewish Museum of Greece, where he spoke about the history of "Greek Jews and their constant presence in Greece since ancient times". On behalf of the museum, the general secretary of the Central Israeli Council, Victor Eliezer, welcomed Voridis "as a friend of the Jewish people and the Israeli community in Greece".

Personal life

Voridis was married to Zoe Rapti, who went on to enter politics as a New Democracy member of parliament and Deputy

. After their divorce, he married Danae Michelakou, in 2005. They have two children, son Titos (b. 2007) and daughter Lela (b. 2013).

Best man A groomsman or usher is one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony. Usually, the groom selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honor to be selected. From his groomsmen, the groom usuall ...

at their wedding was then-'' Front National'' prominent cadre Carl Lang.

Notes

References

External links

* , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Voridis, Makis 1964 births Greek nationalists National liberalism Government ministers of Greece Agriculture ministers of Greece Health ministers of Greece Ministers of the interior of Greece Greek MPs 2007–2009 Greek MPs 2009–2012 Greek MPs 2012 (May) Greek MPs 2012–2014 Greek MPs 2015 (February–August) Greek MPs 2015–2019 Greek MPs 2019–2023 New Democracy (Greece) politicians Popular Orthodox Rally politicians Politicians from Athens National and Kapodistrian University of Athens alumni Alumni of University College London Living people Greek MPs 2023– Alumni of the UCL Faculty of Laws Athens College alumni