The new generation doesn’t remain on the sidelines of developments.
What new things can young people bring to the domestic and global political scene?
Moderator
George Evgenidis, Journalist
Experts
Giorgos Kotsiras, Lawyer, Deputy Minister of Justice, (ND)
Nadia Giannakopoulou, Lawyer, Politician (PASOK)
Kostas Zachariadis, Biologist - Environmentalist, Politician (SYRIZA)
Having left behind us the unfair general myths about the new generation that is passive, apolitical and ahistorical, we look at the future with optimism, as young people participate, are interested and have proven that they can sacrifice the individual on the altar of the collective. The new generation doesn’t remain on the sidelines of developments. On the contrary, it shapes political developments by assuming responsibilities and implementing organised actions.
- How do you react to the myth of the depoliticisation of the new generation?
- What does politicised youth mean and how is this demonstrated through actions?
- In recent years, we have noticed the creation of small groups of young people with the task of becoming a politician.
- What social processes led to the more active participation of young people in politics?
- What new things can young people bring to the domestic and global political scene?
- Why is it important for young people to present a fresh and alternative political discourse?
- What is the entrenched and old-fashioned political entity you aspire to replace?
- What happens when political participation of young people takes place at intra-party levels?
George Evgenidis graduated from the German School of Athens. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the Free University of Berlin and a Master's degree in Communication and New Media from the Free University of Brussels.
He has been working since 2013 as a political editor for news websites and newspapers. He worked at Skai Channel from 2019 to 2021 and since 2021 he has been working for Star Channel.
Giorgos Kotsiras is a Lawyer and a Doctor of the Law School of the University of Athens, specialising in European and Administrative Law (LL.M, Master II), former President of the Association of Practitioners and Young Lawyers of Athens and Senior Member of the European Parliament - Deputy Member of Parliament for the Attica Region.
He was born in 1984 in Athens and graduated from the 1st High School of Zografou in 2002 and went to the Law School of the University of Athens, graduating four years later.
He holds two postgraduate degrees: in European Law from the Law School of the University of Athens and in Administrative Law and Local Government (Droit administratif et Collectivités Territoriales) from the University of Aix-Marseille III “Paul Cézanne”, France. His doctorate was on European Law and he has written many studies and scientific articles on issues of administrative and European law. He has also taught in higher education at the Law School of the University of Athens.
He has been practicing law since 2008 and has a law office in Athens specialising in competition law-state aid, administrative, commercial and European law.
Since 2010, he has been elected twice to the board of the Association of Practicing and Young Lawyers of Athens (EANDA), having served as a member of the Board of Directors, Vice-President and President. He has been a member of the Department of Justice (N.D.) He has been a candidate for MEP (2014) and a candidate for parliament (2015).
Nadia Giannakopoulou was born in 1977. She graduated from Karea Public High School and studied at the Athens Law School. She has two postgraduate degrees in European Politics (London School of Economics and Political Science) and in Commercial and Banking Law (University of Bristol). She is fluent in English and French and has studied classical piano.
Since 2003 she has been working as a lawyer. She worked with law firms and specialised in banking and financial law and international contracts.
In 2007 she was a PASOK MP candidate for Messinia (first runner-up). In the elections of October 2009 she was elected Member of Parliament of Messinia and was re-elected Member of Parliament in the elections of May 2012. She was an active member of PASP Law. She has been a member of the Central Political Committee of PASOK and the Political Council of PASOK since 2006.
From September 2013 to December 2014 she served as Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, with an important project for the simplification of environmental licensing, the new national planning for the prevention and management of waste, the protection of the Kyparissia Gulf and more. Since 2016, she has been PASOK's deputy press representative. She is married to actor and director Maximos Moumouris and they have three daughters.
Kostas Zachariadis was born in Chalandri in 1985, where he attended primary school until the age of 8. In 1993 his family moved to Melissia. In 2002 he graduated from the Unified Lyceum of Melission and since 2005 he has lived in Marousi.
A graduate of the Biology department of the University of Athens (2002-2008), in 2010 he completed the postgraduate study program "Environment and Public Health", in Manchester, UK.
During his student years, he participated in the Network of Autonomous Radical Organisations (DARAS) and the Left Unity (AR.EN.) with notable activity in the biology department.
Member of the Youth COUNCIL since 2003, in the period 2005-2010, he was elected to the Central Council. Since 2013 (founding congress), he has been a member of the Central Committee of SYRIZA. In the period 2010 - 2015, he worked as a scientific associate in the Parliamentary Group of SYRIZA.
He served as Director of the SYRIZA Parliamentary Group from October 2015 until the date of the announcement of the 2019 national elections.
