In just a few days, the first American female ambassador is expected to arrive in Greece to present her credentials to the President of the Republic, Konstantinos Tasoulas, and assume her diplomatic duties. Kimberly Ann Guilfoyle arrives in Athens with a delay of several months due to obstacles raised by Democratic Party senators. However, on September 29, Kimberly Guilfoyle took her official oath at the State Department in Washington and now takes the helm of a challenging endeavor as United States Ambassador to Greece.
President Donald Trump had announced the appointment of Kimberly Guilfoyle as ambassador to Greece in December 2024, making special reference to her capabilities: “Her extensive experience and skills in law, media, and politics, combined with her sharp mind, make her exceptionally qualified to represent the US and protect its interests abroad,” he said.
During the period between the announcement of her appointment and her arrival in Athens, the new ambassador “cultivated” her relationships with the Greek-American community, ensuring she was briefed on all open diplomatic issues.
Patrick Theros on Kimberly Guilfoyle: Greece has the best relations with the US since World War II
As Greek-American diplomat Patrick Theros argues on parapolitika.gr, “Kimberly Guilfoyle comes to Greece as the first female ambassador in the entire diplomatic history dating back to the mid-19th century, and only the third political appointment since World War II. Additionally, she is the first political appointment without Greek heritage. Greece today enjoys the best political relations with the United States since World War II. The most important role an American ambassador can have in any country – and especially in Greece – is to convey the interests and needs of their host country and convince their government that maintaining these relationships is a priority. Her success in this role will depend almost exclusively on her personal relationship with the White House,” argues Mr. Theros.
Nikos Alexiou: “Kimberly Guilfoyle’s presence is expected to strengthen strategic partnerships in defense, energy, technology and economy”
Greek sociology professor Nikos Alexiou, who has been teaching at Queens College in New York in recent years, focuses on the diplomatically complex period of Ms. Guilfoyle’s arrival in Greece, while acknowledging her major asset – close ties with the American President’s circle: “Her appointment comes at a time when Greece is considered, or should be considered, a pillar of stability in a geopolitically complex region, and the ambassador’s presence is expected to strengthen strategic partnerships in defense, energy, technology, and economy between Greece and the US,” Mr. Alexiou tells parapolitika.gr
Kimberly Guilfoyle arrives in Athens at a time when Greeks’ perception of American presence in the country has changed. Greek-American diplomat Patrick Theros, who tells us he has been coming to Greece regularly since 1963, observes this change: “The voices that once blamed the United States for all of Greece’s problems, real or imagined, have remarkably quieted. I believe that as Turkey becomes increasingly aggressive and predatory, Greek public opinion has matured and understands it needs friends – in this case, the United States and the European Union. Greek public opinion, as we all know, is changeable, but for now I believe it steadily supports the relationship with the United States.”
Nikos Alexiou also notes the climate change regarding America’s multifaceted presence in Greece: “Greece is a country that has given a very large number of immigrants and refugees to America; we know very well what America means. Right now, according to the latest census, there are approximately 1.5 million Americans of Greek descent who live and breathe with Greece’s dream, even after five generations of continuous presence in America. Regarding American foreign policy, I believe the Greek people are not suspicious but justifiably cautious. Now if we factor in US-Europe relations, which aren’t at their best, things become even more complex,” the professor notes on parapolitika.gr.
How Kimberly Guilfoyle’s presence will affect Greek-Turkish relations
Those following the interventions of American Ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack might expect new ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle to show the same passion in defending Greek issues. A common element between the two ambassadors is their close relationship with American President Donald Trump. Could one expect cooperation between them regarding resolving Greek-Turkish differences? According to Professor Nikos Alexiou, “under current conditions and circumstances, there must be some cooperation between the two American ambassadors to Greece and Turkey. In politics, there are always prerequisites for good cooperation aimed at resolving Greek-Turkish differences, which are also Europe-Turkey differences. However, real progress will depend on Greece itself. An agreement between the two sides and the cooperation framework that will be shaped, amid known geopolitical challenges in the region, depends mainly on the strength or weakness of Greek foreign policy, remembering that Greece is both an EU and NATO member.”
For diplomat Patrick Theros, joint efforts by Guilfoyle and Barrack to promote solutions to Greek-Turkish issues seem difficult: “If my diplomatic career serves as an example, Ambassador Guilfoyle will find herself defending the Greek side against Ambassador Barrack, who will support the Turkish side. In the past, such confrontations rarely reached the president; they were usually handled by State Department professional diplomats before reaching the White House. Conditions, however, are now different. Donald Trump has assumed an unprecedented, central role in shaping foreign policy, going wherever his inclinations lead him. These disagreements will be decided by the president himself in favor of whichever ambassador has better access to him and can present arguments he likes. Ambassador Barrack has a long-standing business relationship with the Trump family. Ambassador Guilfoyle’s relationship is more personal in nature. I don’t think anyone really knows which of the two will be more influential.”
The coming period promises to be particularly interesting for diplomatic developments at all levels. Meanwhile, at the American embassy, despite currently being closed following the US government shutdown, everything appears ready for the reception of new ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle.
