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A week after the government reshuffling, its main problem and challenge continues to be the expected cuts in the public sector, about which there has been much talk, but little has been done so far.

The fact that the first disagreement in the new cabinet relates precisely to this topic indicates that the government finds it difficult to implement the measure. Newly appointed Minister of Education Andreas Loverdos had requested an increase in the number of administrative staff to be re-employed, namely from 500 people to 880. His aides had even addressed direct attacks towards Minister of Administrative Reform Kyriakos Mitsotakis for his firm refusal to change the planned actions by stating that "he understands nothing of political balance."

After several days of a vehement dispute, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and his coalition partner Evangelos Venizelos found a solution to the issue at a meeting, agreeing that the number of administrative employees who will return to work in universities will be 600.

In recent days, voices in PASOK have frequently called for a "lefter turn" in the politics of party ministers. The issue was discussed at their meeting today with party leader Evangelos Venizelos, who pointed out once again that some of the programme requirements for the recovery of the Greek economy, such as the cuts in the public sector, should be reconsidered both within the government and with the representatives of the creditors.

For his part, the Minister of Administrative Reform said that he would be the happiest among the ministers if there were the slightest possibility of reconsidering the matter and expressed reservations as to whether this would be possible. At the same time, Kyriakos Mitsotakis recalled that 7,000 civil servants should be laid off by the end of the year.

The inherent meaning of the conflict between Loverdos and Venizelos is presented in a very accurate manner by cartoonist Andreas Petroulakis in Kathimerini newspaper. He depicts Minister Andreas Loverdos telling the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and Kyriakos Mitsotakis, "We have to find a way so as to reduce the number of civil servants without dismissing any of them." Antonis Samaras replies, "You have passed through Democratic Left, huh?" The implication of the cartoonist is associated with the rhetoric of Democratic Left that wants reforms without reforms. It is no coincidence that, just a year ago, the party left the government coalition in protest against the closure of ERT state broadcaster.

The intergovernmental bickering has failed to elicit a response from those who are directly affected by the expected cuts. The administrative staff of universities has symbolically closed Athens University and the Polytechnic School and met to decide on what protest measures to take.

Ongoing are the violent protests of the cleaning ladies of the Ministry of Finance who have filed a claim against transferring them to the "availability" mode of work. Earlier today dismissed school guards protested outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the "green" PASOK ministers held a meeting with Evangelos Venizelos. During the protest, there were clashes with the police.

On Tuesday, officials from the Ministry of Culture and Sports will stop working from twelve o’clock until the end of the workday and will hold a rally and march to the Ministry of Administrative Reform in protest against the expected cuts.

It is worth noting that 7,000 people should be removed from the public sector under the agreement with the supervisory Troika.