Lefteris Avgenakis

Lefteris Avgenakis

Minister of Rural Development and Food

Hellenic Republic

• He was born on 18 July 1972.
• He is married to Lena Bania, an educator, and has a son.
• He studied Topographic Engineering at the Technological Educational Institute of Athens, attended a postgraduate programme in Environmental Management and Technology, and holds a graduate degree in Global Political Economy and International Relations from the University of the Peloponnese.
• He has worked as a public works supervisor and as a banking executive at Pancreta Bank.
• In March 2001 he founded the company ‘Epicheirein Ltd., Business Consultants and Technical Studies’, based in Heraklion, and has maintained it to date.
• In March 2004, he entered politics for the first time, in Heraklion prefecture, with New Democracy.
• In the national elections in September 2007, he was elected 2nd member of parliament for Heraklion prefecture, while in the national elections in October 2009 he garnered the most votes on the New Democracy ticket in Heraklion prefecture to date.
• In the national elections on 17 June 2012, he was re-elected as MP for New Democracy in Heraklion prefecture.
• He was again re-elected in the 25 January 2015 elections, and in March 2015 was elected New Democracy’s shadow minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Networks.
• During his time as an MP, he has served as a member of the Standing Committee on Educational and Social Affairs, the Permanent Committee on Technology and Research of the Special Permanent Committee of the Regions, and – for a long period – the Committee on Production and Trade.
• In the past, he served twice on the Board of Directors of the National Student Union of Greece (ESEE). He has served as President of the Student Union of Cretans in Attica, a member of the BoD of the Pan-Cretan Association of Athens, founding member and Chairman of the BoD of the Pancretan Youth, and Chairman of the BoD of the World Council of Cretan Youth.
• In 2007 he published his first book, ‘Political Issues’ (Ellinika Grammata editions), and in 2010 he published an e-book entitled ‘Public Administration zero hour _ Even God fears the Greek State’.
• He is currently completing his new book, ‘Public Administration, 5 years later – Common Sense’.
• By decision of the President of New Democracy, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, on 13 January 2016 he was appointed Deputy Secretary of the New Democracy Political Committee, whose main goal was the reorganization of the party, and he was appointed the liaison between the Party and the Parliamentary Group.
• In April 2016, he was elected Secretary of the Political Committee of New Democracy (ND).
• In 2019, by decision of the Prime Minister, he was appointed Deputy Minister for Sports.
• In June 2023 he was named Minister for Rural Development and Food.