Manolis Kefalogiannis was born in Crete in 1959. He studied Economics and Politics at the University of Athens. He obtained Masters Degrees from the University of Reading and the London School of Economics on European Integration, European Strategic Studies and European Political History. He was a Member of the Greek Parliament representing the Nea Dimokratia Party since 1990 when he was first elected in Irakleio. He left his position in May 2014 in order to run in the European elections. As an MP, he drafted the texts of the Greek Parliament’s Decision on the Maastricht Treaty and its Review of the Maastricht Treaty. He was a Member of the Committee on European Affairs of the Greek Parliament. He represented Greece in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in 2007-2014. He served as Minister of Maritime Affairs of Greece from March 2004-September 2007 and was the Secretary of the Political Committee of Nea Dimokratia (August 2012-July 2013). MEP since 2014.