The Interim Coalition Government of Greece is already a fact

11 November 2011 / 23:11:47 GRReporter

5219 reads

Victoria Mindova

The interim coalition government of Lucas Papademos formally swore on Friday afternoon to serve the Greek people. The bottom line is that 48 ministers and deputy ministers are in the new government of Greece to rescue it from its political and economic blockade after the government of George Papandreou. Theodoros Pangalos and Evangelos Venizelos of PASOK remain Deputy Prime Ministers. Venizelos has retained the post of Minister of Finance as expected, like in the previous government. Filippos Sachinidis and Pantelis Economou remain his Deputy Ministers and Yiannis Mourmouras from New Democracy enters their company.

The others involved in the new government of Greece from the right party are: Dimitris Avramopoulos, who will head the Ministry of Defence. Member of European Parliament Stavros Dimas, who takes the post of Foreign Minister and Konstantinos Arvanitopoulos, who becomes Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Education. The Chairman of the Regional Committee of New Democracy for region "B" Thessaloniki Dimitris Vratzopoulos becomes Deputy in the Ministry of Health, which is headed by the representative of PASOK George Koutroumanis. Petros Alivizatos will take tourism in the Ministry of Culture, which continues to be headed by one of George Papandreou's closest friends Pavlos Geroulanos.

"New Democracy took two crucial ministries with a significant role in the country and of national symbolism – The Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "I send messages where they should be sent," said the right leader Antonis Samaras after the end of the first Council of Ministers, in which three of the five parliamentary parties in Greece took part. He stressed that he was not willing to govern with the Socialists and made it clear that the consensus about the direction of Greece would not be eternal. "I did not want more involvement. I did not want joint government. And all understand why." With this statement, Samaras has openly showed once again that he prefers early elections to be called as soon as possible and that the coalition government is clearly a necessary evil to go through in order to take the premiership.

In total, there are six New Democracy participants in the interim coalition government, only two of whom are ministers and the other posts are of deputy ministers. Far-right LAOS party headed by George Karatzaferis took four posts - two ministers and two deputy ministers. Makis Voridis became Minister of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks. He is obviously very proud of the honour given to him in the government of national salvation and was among the first who arrived at the presidential palace with his family. George Georgiou becomes Deputy Minister of Defence. Adonis Georgiadis takes shipping at the Ministry of Regional Development, Competitiveness and Shipping led by Michalis Chrysochoidis (from the old government of PASOK). Asterios Rontoulis of the far right becomes Deputy Minister of Rural Development, who after the oath, stated that "the government will work as a digger."

Prime Minister

Lucas Papademos

First Deputy Prime Minister

Theodoros Pangalos

Second Deputy Prime Minister

Evangelos Venizelos

Ministry of Administrative Reform and E-Governance

Minister: Dimitris Reppas

Deputy Minister: Dinos Rovlias

Deputy Minister: Pantelis Tzortzakis

Ministry of Interior
Minister: Tassos Giannitsis

Deputy Minister: Fofi Yennimata

Deputy Minister: Paris Koukoulopoulos

Ministry of Finance
Minister: Evangelos Venizelos
Alternate Minister: Filippos Sachinidis
Alternate Minister: Pantelis Economou
Deputy Minister: Yiannis Mourmouras

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Minister: Stavros Dimas
Alternate Minister: Mariliza Xenoyiannakopoulou
Deputy Minister: Dimitris Dollis

Ministry of Defence
Minister: Dimitris Avramopoulos
Alternate Minister: Yiannis Ragousis
Alternate Minister: George Georgiou
Deputy Minister: Kostas Spilipopoulos

Ministry of Regional Development, Competitiveness and Shipping
Minister: Michalis Chrysochoidis
Alternate Minister: Sokratis Xynidis
Deputy Minister: Thanos Moraitis
Deputy Minister: Adonis Georgiadis

Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change
Minister: George Papakonstantinou
Alternate Minister: Nikos Sifounakis
Deputy Minister: Yiannis Maniatis

Ministry of Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs
Minister: Anna Diamantopoulou
Alternate Minister: Konstantinos Arvanitopoulos
Deputy Minister: Evi Christofilopoulou

Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks
Minister: Makis Voridis
Deputy Minister: Yiannis Magriotis

Ministry of Labour and Social Security
Minister: George Koutroumanis
Deputy Minister: Yiannis Koutsoukos

Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity
Minister: Andreas Loverdos
Deputy Minister: Dimitris Vratzopoulos
Deputy Minister: Markos Bolaris
Deputy Minister: Michalis Timosidis

Ministry of Rural Development and Food
Minister: Kostas Skandalidis
Deputy Minister: Yiannis Drivelegas
Deputy Minister: Asteris Rontoulis

Ministry of Justice, Transparancy and Human Rights
Minister: Miltiadis Papaioannou
Deputy Minister: George Petalotis

Ministry of Citizen Protection
Minister: Christos Papoutsis
Deputy Minister: Manolis Othonas