Born in Trikala,[1] Hatzigakis studied law at the University of Athens, where he gained his bachelor's degree.
He obtained a master's degree from the University College London, United Kingdom in Economics and from the Sorbonne of Paris, France in political science.
Following the collapse of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974, Hatzigakis decided to run for parliament MP with ND.
From the outset of his political career, Hatzigakis was involved in the accession negotiations of Greece with the European Economic Community.
When his cousin Evangelos Averoff was elected the leader of New Democracy in 1981, he tried to renew the party by bringing in new politicians and getting rid of the old guard.