Brussels, 17/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras decided ultimately, on Tuesday 17 February, to nominate former Home Affairs Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos of the New Democracy party for the post of President of the Hellenic Republic.
Rumours had been rife for several weeks that Migration and Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos was favourite for the post. The Greek press reported, however, that this possibility had caused some disquiet within the Syriza party.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and the EPP family, too, were less than pleased at the prospect of a re-shuffling of portfolios to replace Avramopoulos and the arrival of a new commissioner from the Syriza party (who was unlikely to have inherited immigration and home affairs).
Pavlopoulos was the home affairs, public administration and decentralisation minister between March 2004 and October 2009. Voting to designate the president will begin this Wednesday, 18 February. Avramopoulos, who had seemed somewhat behind on his files these last few weeks, leaving Frans Timmermans or Federica Mogherini to talk about migration, will now be able to get down to work on the two main issues awaiting his attention over the coming weeks: preparation of an internal security agenda, which is expected to be presented in April or May, and the comprehensive approach to migration (due in the first half of this year). (Solenn Paulic)