Adonis Georgiadis

Spyridon-Adonis Georgiadis (Σπυρίδων-Άδωνις Γεωργιάδης; born 6 November 1972), commonly known as Adonis Georgiadis, is a Greek politician, author, publisher and former telemarketer.

Often described as being on the far right of the political spectrum, he currently serves as Vice President of New Democracy and Minister for Health in the Second Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

He previously served in the same cabinet as Minister for Labour and Social Security (2023–2024), Minister for Development and Investment in the First Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis (2019–2023), Minister for Health in the Cabinet of Antonis Samaras (2013–2014) and Deputy Minister for Development, Competitiveness and Shipping in the Cabinet of Lucas Papademos (2011–2012).

Georgiadis started working at his father's bookstore at the age of 15.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history from the Department of History and Archaeology of the School of Philosophy of the University of Athens.

He also advocates the use of the polytonic system for writing the Greek language; Elliniki Agogi is written in this system, which is not the prevailing practice in Greek publishing from the 1980s.

Georgiadis has called for more research to investigate whether the introduction of the monotonic system was beneficial or not to the Greek culture and education.

Once appointed Deputy Minister for Development, Competitiveness and Shipping he changed the signs at his ministry to conform to the polytonic system.

Georgiadis often condemns the opinions expressed in left-wing publications such as Eleftherotypia or by left-wing politicians such as those of Syriza, with both parties having exchanged sharp-tongued criticism.

In 1994, Georgiadis founded an organization of the same name to promote the teaching of the language and civilization of ancient Greece to children and adults.

Georgiadis has written Homosexuality in Ancient Greece: the Myth Collapses in which he argues that whereas homosexuality was present in Ancient Greece as in other countries, its extent and social acceptance have been inflated.

Georgiadis joined the Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) in 2003, serving as party spokesman from December 2003 to August 2007.

He ran for the office of Prefect of Athens in the 2006 local elections.

On 16 September 2007, he was elected a member of the Hellenic Parliament for the Athens B constituency, and was re-elected in October 2009.

He ran as the LAOS candidate for Governor of Attica in the 2010 local elections.

On 11 November 2011, Georgiadis was appointed Deputy Minister for Development, Competitiveness and Shipping in the coalition government of Lucas Papademos.

He resigned the position on 11 February 2012, amidst a row with party leader Georgios Karatzaferis over the latter's opposition to the Second Economic Adjustment Programme for Greece.

On 13 February, he and Makis Voridis were expelled from the LAOS parliamentary group for voting in favor of the second bailout against the party line.

On 17 February, Georgiadis joined New Democracy, having given up his parliamentary seat to LAOS.

He was subsequently re-elected on the New Democracy ticket at the elections held in May and June 2012, and has retained his seat at every election held since, representing Athens B until 2019 and Athens B1 thereafter.

He was appointed Minister for Health in the coalition government of Antonis Samaras, serving from June 2013 to June 2014.

In September 2014, Georgiadis was appointed parliamentary spokesman for New Democracy.

His consistent electoral success has seen him rise through the party ranks, and he was one of the four candidates in the 2015–16 New Democracy leadership election.

He campaigned for liberal reforms, tax and spending cuts and a battle against the "ideological hegemony" of the Left.

In the first round, he received 46,065 votes (11.40%) and finished last among the four candidates.

In the second round, he supported Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who won the election and became the new party leader.

In a 2015 TV show discussing his book, he claimed that "homosexuality did not exist in Ancient Greece".

He had also previously written a Guide to Ancient Greek Coins.

He has also written the historical novel Theodora Phranza: or, the Fall of Constantinople.

On 18 January 2016, Georgiadis was appointed one of the party's two vice-presidents, serving alongside Kostis Hatzidakis ever since.

Until his expulsion from LAOS, Georgiadis often appeared on, a television channel founded and run by party leader Georgios Karatzaferis.

On his daily programme Ellinon Egersis (Ἑλλήνων Ἔγερσις, "Hellenes' Awakening"), which later moved to Kontra Channel, he and his brother Leonidas commented on current affairs and advertised books of mainly historical and philological interest, both from the family's own publishing house and other Greek publishers.

He also publishes the magazine Elliniki Agogi, which covers issues of national and historical interest.

Greek journalist Tasos Kostopoulos has claimed that this book is the product of plagiarism of a 19th-century English book by John Mason Neale.

Moreover, according to Kostopoulos, Georgiadis added some characters to the English original, including Bartholomew, a Jewish advisor to the Sultan Mehmet.

In the book, Bartholomew has the following dialogue with the Sultan: "You are a really valuable advisor. Had it not been for your advice, I do not know whether I would be here now, besieging Constantinople. You must really hate the Greeks, since you work so relentlessly for their destruction."

To which the Jew answers: "I hate them! Nobody in the world will be happier than I when Constantinople will fall to your hands."

Kostopoulos´ claims were supported by a number of Greek journalists.

Georgiadis reply was that he had never hidden he had adapted a previous work.

Georgiadis' speaking style might have a nuance of the more formal katharevousa.