“Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is adamant that his country must be given a very important position when Ursula von der Leyen assembles her top team at the European Commission,” reports Politico, preface to the prime minister’s interview.

“Kyriakos Mitsotakis demonstrates his growing political power by calling for Greece to acquire a key portfolio” highlighted in Politico

“Kyriakos Mitsotakis can get what he wants, since he played a decisive role in helping the President of the European Commission secure a second term.”

“I would certainly like a portfolio that highlights on the one hand the progress that Greece has made economically, but also the kind of strategic position of Greece in the southeast wing of Europe and NATO,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis told Politico in his interview.

Asked if Greece is eyeing the newly announced position of Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Mr Mitsotakis said: “I am not saying that, but I am saying that there are other portfolios that could fit into that category. I certainly think it is a good idea to have a commissioner for the Mediterranean. I guess in the end it will be a Mediterranean country (i.e. who gets this portfolio) (…) There are other portfolios that we could be very interested in, and at the end of the day it’s a decision that the president makes.”

“It’s up to the colleagues me to judge who really makes a valuable contribution,” he said, among other things, while highlighting the number of summits in Brussels in which he has participated. “So again, I always try to add value, not only to speak on behalf of Greece, as I should, but also to try to see the wider landscape and try to make decisions that strengthen Europe as well. So that’s how I see my role.”

Mr Mitsotakis defended his “open” approach to handling the surveillance scandal, and said his government took responsibility. “But I think overall, the positives coming out of Greece far outweigh the negatives. We never said we were perfect, but we always acknowledged any mistakes that were made,” he noted.

“Looking ahead to the next five years, Europe will have to have a tough conversation about how to pay for its climate, competitiveness and defense ambitions,” Mitsotakis said. He argued that there is an “intellectual inconsistency between the depth of our aims and the financial means at our disposal”.