Polakis is a highly controversial figure who has frequently been in the Greek media due to his use of defamatory references to his political opponents.

He developed trade union activity at the General State Hospital of Nice, and participated in a humanitarian aid transport operation in Yugoslavia in 1999.

His mayoral term was marked by several public works, as well as his opposition to the destruction of chemical weapons used during the Syrian Civil War off the Mediterranean Sea.

On 17 July 2015, he accepted Alexis Tsipras' proposal to take over as Deputy Minister of Interior and Administrative Reconstruction, following a reshuffle announced by the government.

Pavlos Polakis is married to Dora Tsouka who he met during his student days at the University of Athens Medical School.

[10] Polakis came under heavy scrutiny in June 2021, as a result of controversial social media posts shared from his accounts,[11] where he openly criticised the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

The government of New Democracy called Alexis Tsipras to take a stance on the issue,[12] whilst Facebook blocked Polakis' account for sharing conspiracy theories.

[13] Ultimately, Alexis Tsipras also criticised Polakis,[14] whilst other prominent Greek politicians and journalists called his wording 'dangerous', 'irresponsible' and vaccine hesitant.