So, after more meetings and consultations, the new Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and representatives of the three parties (PASOK, New Democracy,LAOS) finalized the composition of the crisis cabinet which counts 48 (!) members-so much about the flexible cabinet Papadimos hoped for- as ND, PASOK and LAOS tried to squeeze in as many ministers as they could! Allegedly, the new PM was adding and deleting names from the government list until 3 a.m. last night!
The government consists of 48 people: PASOK (Socialists) has 38 officials, Nea Dimocratia (Conservative) 6 and LAOS (far-right) 4. In an obvious attempt to please everyone, some ministries have representatives of all three parties, like the Ministry of Defence where the Minister is from ND, the two alternates are from PASOK and LAOS, and the deputy Minister comes from PASOK! Among other paradoxes, Dimitris Avramopoulos resigned from his seat at the Parliament as Antonis Samaras insisted of not providing Papademos with elected members of the parliament!
The Ceremony
At the colourful traditional Greek swearing-in ceremony, black-robed Orthodox priests, led by the Archbishop of Athens Ieronimos, blessed Papademos seemed rather sceptical-he probably realised he basically agreed to take “Europe’s worst job” according to TIMES magazine. His so -called cabinet is dominated by the two main parties which for the past week wouldn’t stop backstabbing each other but are now asked to work together in order to “save the country”. The only thing looking positive for Papademos is -according to the Greek media- that numerology is by his side! He’s the 11th Prime Minister swearing in on 11/11/2011, a date according to “experts” full of auspicious, spiritual, occult and paranormal signs.
The Government-PASOK Oldies
The majority of PASOK ministers stay right where they were with Evangelos Venizelos and Theodore Pangalos both remaining Deputy premiers. Mr. Venizelos also remains Finance Minister.
Dimitris Reppas (Minister for the Interior, Decentralization and Electronic Governance), Anna Diamantopoulou (Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs), Andreas Loverdos (Minister for Health and Social Solidarity), Michael Chrysochoidis (Minister for the Competitiveness and Shipping), George Papakonstantinou (Minister for the Environment, Energy and Climate Change), Κοstas Skandalidis (Minister for Rural Development and Food), Pavlos Geroulanos (Minister for Culture and Tourism) and Christos Papoutsis (Citizen Protection Minister) all stay put.
John Ragousis is transferred to the Ministry of Defence under new Minister Dimitris Avramopulos from ND and Mrs. Fofi Gennimata is transferred as Deputy Minister to the interior ministry.
ND and LAOS Newbies
Both ND Deputy leaders were given ministries, as Dimitris Avramopoulos is the new Defence Minister and Mr. Stavros Dimas, a former European commissioner is the new foreign minister. Konstantinos Arvanitopoulos is the Alternate Minister in the Ministry of Education, Yiannis Mourmouras is appointed as Deputy Minister under Evangelos Venizelos in the Ministry of Finance. Finaly, Petros Alivizatos is appointed Deputy Minister (Tourism). Dimitris Vartzopoulos Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Health under Andreas Loverdos.
From LAOS: Makis Voridis is the new Infrastructure Transport and Networks Minister, George Georgiou is the Alternate Minister in the Ministry of Defence, Adonis Georgiadis is the Deputy Minister for Shipping, and Asteris Rontoulis is the Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.
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