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Kostas Skandalidis (Greek: Κώστας Σκανδαλίδης,born 11 January 1953 in Kos, Greece) is a Greek Politician and member of the Greek Parliament for the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) for the Athens A constituency. Since September 2010 he is the Minister for Rural Development and Food of Greece.

Life

M.P. Kostas Skandalidis was born in 1953 in Kos, Greece. He is the son of the priest, Papa-Giorgis and Christina Skandalidi. He graduated from the National Technical University of Athens with a degree in electrical engineering. In 1974 he became a founding member of the PA.SO.K., and has since then elected as a member of the Hellenic Parliament in all general elections since 1989, initially for the Dodecanese and from 2000 in the Athens A constituency.

He was elected secretary of the Central Committee of the PA.SO.K. three times between 11 October 1995 and 22 October 2001.

M.P. Kostas Skandalidis was a candidate for the position of Mayor of Athens in the local elections of 2006, in which he received 28.84% and his platform became the major opposition.

After the legislative elections of 2007, in which the PA.SO.K. was defeated, M.P. Kostas Skandalidis announced his candidacy for the leadership of the party. In the leadership elections, which took place on 11 November 2007, he was placed third with 5.74% of the vote, behind incumbent party leader George Papandreou and Evangelos Venizelos.[1]

He has held the following posts:

Minister for the Aegean and Island Policy (13 October 1993 - 8 July 1994)
Minister of Interior (8 July 1994 - 15 September 1995)
Minister for the Interior and Public Order (24 October 2001 - 10 March 2004)
Minister for Rural Development and Food (since 9 September 2010)