Greece’s interim cabinet was sworn in in Athens on Thursday morning. The “lean”, 16-member cabinet headed by Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos will will lead the country to fresh elections, on June 17th 2012. Greece’s caretaker government mainly consists of academic professors, technocrats, former ministers, a retired general and a career diplomat. No deputy ministers were appointed.
The important resort of Financeis taken over by Georgios Zannias, a senior official at the Finance ministry. Zannias is former head of the state’s council of economic advisers and key negotiator in Greece’s debt rollover. He was present at all major EU meetings in recent years. .
Career diplomat Petros Molyviatis takes over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Former chief of General Staff of Land Forces Frangoulis Frangos is named Minister of Defence. Frangos was replaced from his top post in November 2011 in the context of a thorough reshuffle of the Armed Forces. A surprise move by then Defence Minister Panos Beglitis that left many questions unanswered.
Video: Cabinet oath
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An hour later after the cabinet sworn in, the Parliament opened so that the 300 MPs elected at the May-6 elections would taken an oath. Among the 300 lawmakers are also 21 members of extreme-right Chrysi Avgi, the party that received 6.97% at the elections. A fact that shoke many democratic Greeks.
Party-leader Michaloliakos & some Chysi Avgi lawmakers
This parliament is of short life as it will be dissolved on Friday due to the fresh elections.
The leaders of the political parties agreed on Wednesday that the 300 MPs will not receive salary/compensation in a move to avoid provocation of the public sentiment due to harsh austerity and deep economic crisis. The MPs were supposed to receive a 15-days compensation of 2,500 euro each for the time when they were elected (May 6) until the dissolvement of the parliament (May 18).
At May-6 elections voters gave no party the absolute majority to form a government. Ten-day long talks to form a coalition government failed.
