By Penelope Galliou

The satisfaction of Athens was caused by the selection of the Greek Commissioner, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, for the portfolio of Sustainable Transport and Tourism in the new European Commission. This is a portfolio which, according to government sources, has a strong geopolitical footprint as, as they note, it highlights the geopolitical importance of Greece and its strategic position, as a gateway country, for trade, energy and networking, both towards Western Balkans and Eastern Europe, as well as the northeastern tip of the Mediterranean.

The assumption of the specific portfolio at a critical geopolitical moment for the Eastern Mediterranean, but also in the midst of the ongoing energy insecurity of recent years, reflects the important role of our country in connectivity and transport, as its position in the routes is strengthened – transport and energy – to and from Europe, but also the pivotal role – bridge with the Middle East and North Africa.

The fact that Greece, through the new portfolio it took over, will be called upon in the coming years to manage important projects and community resources, such as the Connecting Europe Facility, the EU’s financial tool for financing strategic investments in transport networks, is also particularly important. , energy and digital. The importance and size of the new Greek portfolio is also revealed by the fact that during the period 2021-2027 it handles resources of the order of 26 billion euros exclusively for the transport sector.

A milestone, both for our country and for the EU, according to government sources, is the expansion of the Transport portfolio, with the object of tourism being the “heavy” industry of Greece which is already a pioneer in taking measures for sustainable tourism development and as a tourist country has to contribute with proposals and initiatives in the direction of sustainable tourism and the improvement of infrastructure.

“The title alone, which includes Tourism, is a great success for our country. We succeeded and convinced the European Commission that Tourism deserves its own place in European policies. And its place is Greek” the prime minister mentioned, among other things, in his post about the taking over of the specific portfolio by Greece, while as noted by Mr. Mitsotakis “mobility and connectivity cannot be understood without maritime transport“, the responsibilities of the portfolio also include the shipping sector, as shipping and maritime transport, which have a key role today for Europe but also of key importance for Greece, which is a world power in shipping, also has an important share in transport.

In his first statement after being elected to the position of Commissioner for Transport and Tourism in the EU, the new Greek Commissioner, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, emphasized that “the European Union sends a strong signal that it has a comprehensive and integrated approach to development, focusing on strategic investments in important infrastructure, green transport and sustainable tourism development that improve everyday life and quality of life, ultimately bringing Europe closer to its citizens her“.

According to information, Mr. Mitsotakis and Mr. Tzitzikostas had discussed the portfolio assigned to our country with Brussels, while the prime minister had “photograph” in their previous interviews stressing that “Greece will be able to claim a portfolio which will reflect both the significant progress it has achieved in recent years, but also the special, I would say, geostrategic and geopolitical role that our country has in the wider Balkans, in south-eastern Europe.”

It should be noted that the Transport portfolio was previously held by the Romanian politician Adina Valean and among her responsibilities was the development of an overall strategy for sustainable and smart mobility, the promotion of sustainable and alternative fuels for road, sea and air transport, the modernization of transport systems with an emphasis on digital innovation, the safeguarding of passengers’ rights, etc.