New Transport Commissioner: Greek Tzitzikostas Raises More Questions Than Answers

Greek politician Apostolos Tzitzikostas, known as "Tzitzi," has taken the reins of European transport and tourism. What can we expect from him? So far, it's a puzzle, and initial reactions are rather mixed.

The discussion about which country secured the most important portfolio can also be flipped, asking whether the candidate is capable of managing the agenda and whether they have the necessary qualifications. Early reactions suggest that Ursula von der Leyen's proposal to appoint a regional Greek politician as Commissioner for Transport (and newly for Tourism) is being met with uncertainty. Essentially, no one is quite sure what to expect from the new commissioner.

RAILTARGET took a closer look at the Greek politician. Apostolos Tzitzikostas (44) comes from a politically active family in Macedonia and Thrace. He studied at Georgetown University and University College London. As a student, he worked in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. Congress. In Greece, he began a business in organic dairy products, eventually integrating his company into the Mevgal conglomerate. He entered national politics on the New Democracy ticket in the 2007 elections in Thessaloniki and was elected as a member of parliament. After early elections, he returned to the Macedonian province, where he became a regional councilor and deputy governor. His foreign policy experience earned him a nomination from the Greek government to the Committee of the Regions in 2015, where he represented Greece until now.

In New Democracy, which won 33% of the vote in the European Parliament elections and is part of the European People's Party (EPP), Tzitzikostas is a prominent figure. He even ran unsuccessfully for party leadership. On August 1, he was nominated as European Commissioner by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. On Twitter, Tzitzikostas, known in Greece as Tzitzi, said he plans to use his experience from the Committee of the Regions in his new EU role. For him, transport represents the backbone of Europe, with geostrategic importance for trade, energy, and digital networks. It is a prerequisite for the free movement of people, goods, and services. He plans to link tourism more closely with transport in his administration, a field where he feels more confident despite the EU's limited competencies in tourism.

Today, the Commission President also published the so-called mission letters to the members of the European Commission. Tzitzikostas was given the mission with the slogan "A Faster and Simpler Europe." He will report to one of the six Commission vice-presidents, specifically Italian Commissioner Rafaelli Fitto, who oversees cohesion and reforms. The primary goal of his work is to align the transport sector with the Green Deal. He is tasked with reducing mandatory reporting for companies by 25% and for small and medium enterprises by 35%. In transport, Tzitzikostas must also conduct a stress test on legislation to identify and remove redundancies and conflicting regulations.

Among his specific objectives are completing the TEN-T core network corridors by 2030, advancing the high-speed rail plan, accelerating the development of freight rail and night passenger trains, introducing a regulatory framework for unified ticketing and booking systems, and decarbonizing transport. Additionally, he is expected to speed up road electrification, create an action plan for the automotive and maritime sectors, address deficiencies in the Single European Sky, publish the first European Cycling Declaration report, and develop strategies for future key technologies, such as Hyperloop. He will also focus on digitizing transport systems (ITS and railway FRMCS), addressing transport safety and military mobility, creating a strategy for port development, and improving connections with neighboring countries.

Source: Commission.europa.eu; RAILTARGET