Nikos Xydakis MP |
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Νίκος Ξυδάκης | |
Alternate Minister of Culture | |
In office 27 January – 28 August 2015 |
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Prime Minister | Alexis Tsipras |
Minister | Aristides Baltas |
Preceded by | Konstantinos Tasoulas (as Minister of Culture and Sport) |
Succeeded by | Marina Lambraki-Plaka |
Personal details | |
Born | 1958 (age 58–59) Piraeus, Greece |
Political party | Coalition of the Radical Left |
Alma mater | University of Athens |
Profession | Journalist |
Nikos Xydakis (Greek: Νίκος Ξυδάκης; born 1958) is a Greek journalist, art critic, and left-wing politician. From 27 January to 28 August 2015, he served as the Alternate Minister of Culture in the cabinet of Alexis Tsipras. From 24 September 2015, he is serving as the Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs.
Xydakis was born in Piraeus in 1958. He studied graphic arts at the Technological Educational Institute of Athens from 1976 to 1977 before attaining a degree in dentistry from the University of Athens in 1984, where he later went on to pursue postgraduate studies in history of art from 1998 to 2002.
Having joined Kathimerini in 1992, Xydakis became arts editor of the newspaper in 1999 and subsequently editor-in-chief from 2003 to 2014. He received an award from the Athanassios Botsis Journalism Foundation in 2009. From 2002 to 2005 he was General Secretary of the Greek section of the International Association of Art Critics.
In the Greek legislative elections of January 2015, Xydakis stood as a candidate for the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA). He was elected MP for the Athens B constituency, and following the formation of a Syriza-led coalition government under Alexis Tsipras, Xydakis was appointed Alternate Minister of Culture in the combined Ministry of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs, serving under Aristides Baltas.