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The oath-taking ceremony of the new government headed by Lucas Papademos has been postponed to 4 pm instead of taking place at 2 pm as initially announced. The reason apparently lies in the fact that the two largest parties, PASOK and New Democracy, cannot divide the ministerial posts in a manner that will not negatively affect their positions in early parliamentary elections after a few months.
 
So far, some of the names of PASOK ministers, who had participated in the government over the past two years and will not be replaced in the interim coalition government, are known. Certain is the name of Minister of Finance Evangelos Venizelos, who remains Deputy Prime Minister. Andreas Loverdos is also expected to remain Minister of Health and Social Solidarity. Anna Diamatopoulou will not be removed from the Ministry of Education and George Koutroumanis is expected to remain the head of the Ministry of Employment and Social Security. Michalis Chrisochoidis will remain in office in the Ministry of Regional Development and Competitiveness.

Party leaders have agreed that it is not appropriate to reshuffle these ministries because the heirs of the posts will not have enough time to catch up until the early elections.

According to the latest information, changes in the Ministry of Defence are expected. Dimitris Avramopoulos from New Democracy, who resigned from the parliamentary group of the blue of the Chairman of the National Assembly Filippos Petsalnikos, will take over the Ministry.  Avramopoulos is a close collaborator of Democrat’s leader Antonis Samaras and the post is considered crucial by both camps in the government. Giannis Ragousis from the ranks of PASOK, who until yesterday headed the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, is tipped as Deputy Minister of Defence. Makis Voridis will take his place in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.

GRReporter information from three days ago has also confirmed that former European Commissioner and member of New Democracy Stavros Dimas will take over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Tassos Yanitsis of PASOK will take over the Ministry of Regional Development. He was president of Hellenic Petroleum and held various ministerial posts in the socialist government of Costas Simitis. His Deputy Minister will be Fofi Genimata, who will be moved from her post in the Ministry of Education. Petros Alivizatos of New Democracy is about to take over tourism from the Ministry of Culture.

All unknown will be revealed at the time of the oath of the new coalition government. It is due to take place at 4 pm but political analysts do not exclude another change in the scheduled time.