Dr. Effie Achtsioglou
PhD in Law | MP | former Minister of Labour, Social Security & Social Solidarity
About
Effie Achtsioglou is a Member of the Greek Parliament and the Former Minister of Labour, Social Security and Social Solidarity. Upon her nomination, she became the country’s youngest female minister at age 31. In her time as Minister (2016-2019), she initiated and tabled significant reforms in labour rights, social security and welfare including relaunching collective bargaining, wage setting, restricting unfair dismissals and undeclared work, transforming child benefit, initiating housing benefit and restructuring pensions’ system. During her tenure as Minister, unemployment decreased by 9%, youth unemployment by 13%, the minimum wage increased by 11% and for young people by 27%, child poverty decreased by 6%, and undeclared work by 10%.
Effie was the chief negotiator with major European and international Institutions (EU, ECB, IMF) during Greece’s third economic adjustment programme, on matters of labour market reform, social security, and welfare policies. Through Greece’s representation in various global fora (EPSCO, OECD, ILO) she has developed a strong understanding of the European political landscape.
During the national election campaign of 2019, she served as spokesperson for the government handling media and communication strategy with heavy emphasis on governmental achievements in the areas of foreign policy / international relations, human rights, rule of law and standard of living improvements.
In her time as MP (2019- today) she served as Shadow Minister of Finance (2020-2023) and Shadow Minister of Labour and Social Security (2019-2020) being the lead speaker of the main opposition on State budget and legislations regarding finance and social issues (e.g. insolvency framework, working time, min wage, pension reform, Covid support measures). She also served as Vice Chairperson of the Constitutional Reform Committee (2019) which led to the 4th Reform of the Greek Constitution of 1975.
As member of Jacinda Ardern’s ‘Field Program’, Effie regularly engages in exchanges on democracy, social cohesion and inclusive growth with global leaders. She frequently appears in the media - on major TV, radio, print, and online outlets - to discuss and comment on political, economic, and social developments in Greece and abroad.
Effie is an active lawyer and researcher with a PhD in labour law and a master's degree in public law and political science. She has given numerous lectures on social and economic policy in international fora and has published extensively in these fields. She is uniquely equipped to bridge the gap between rigorous research and effective policy. Her six years of prior research experience, coupled with a continued dedication to staying abreast of current findings, ensures her unwavering commitment to evidence-based policy formulation. Drawing upon her education and experience she is particularly interested in bridging academia with governments and civil society to address rule of law and human rights threats, rising populism, and disinformation.
Driven by a passion for strategic leadership, Effie believes in the transformative power of connecting academic research and inspiring teaching with practical policy-making to advance progressive solutions for combating inequalities.
Get in Touch
I'm always interested in discussing research collaborations, speaking opportunities, or consulting on matters related to policy design, leadership, negotiation, governance, labour markets, social policy.
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