Career
In the 2007 Greek legislative election he was elected to the Greek Parliament for an Athens constituency, and consequently resigned from the European Parliament. He served as Minister for Transport and Communications from 2007 to 2009 and then as Minister for Development in 2009. On 15 December 2010, when leaving parliament during the Greek general strike, he was ambushed by protesters angry with his role in precipitating the 2010 debt crisis leaving him with blood pouring from his head after being chased and beaten by dozens of protesters.