Margaritis Schinas took office as Vice-President of the European Commission under President Ursula Von Der Leyen in December 2019. He is entrusted with the portfolio for Promoting our European Way of Life. In this capacity, he oversees the EU’s policies for Migration, Security Union, Social rights, Skills, Education, Culture & Sports, Youth, Public health, Interfaith dialogue and the Fight against antisemitism.

Mr Schinas began his career in the European Commission in 1990 and is yet both the first EU official who has been appointed Member of the College of Commissioners, and the first Greek Vice-President of the European Commission in the history of the institution. Between 2007 and 2009, he served as a Member of the European Parliament. During his parliamentary term, he has been a Member of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. 

Upon completing his parliamentary work, he returned to the European Commission where he held various senior positions in areas of high responsibility. In particular, in 2010, President Barroso appointed him as Deputy Head of the Bureau of European Policy Advisers. Later, he served as Resident Director and Head of the Athens Office of the European Commission’s Directorate‑General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN). In 2014, President Juncker appointed Mr Schinas as the Chief Spokesperson of the European Commission, role that he endorsed during one of the most challenging period of the European integration. 

Born in Thessaloniki in 1962, Margaritis Schinas holds an MSc on Public Administration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics, a Diploma of Advanced European Studies on European Administrative Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges and a Degree in Law from the Aristotelean University of Thessaloniki. 

He is married and has two children.