PASOK names elite team

Papandreou picks 13 officials to make up his unofficial shadow cabinet

PASOK leader George Papandreou made the last in a series of adjustments to his party yesterday by naming what will effectively be his shadow cabinet as he seeks to mount a more effective challenge to the government in the runup to the next general election.

Following his surprise move last week to replace party secretary Mariliza Xenoyiannakopoulou with Nikos Athanassakis, Papandreou announced a new parliamentary council made up of 13 senior PASOK officials.

The council will serve as an unofficial shadow cabinet to match up against the ruling conservatives and cut their opinion poll lead.

Dimitris Reppas, a former PASOK minister and ex-government spokesman, was named as head of the parliamentary council.

Speaking to Sunday’s Kathimerini about Papandreou’s changes, Reppas said it was a “new beginning” for PASOK. “We are using the experience we have gained in opposition since 2004... we are preparing ourselves for a victorious electoral battle,” said Reppas.

The shadow cabinet contains several PASOK veterans. Theodoros Pangalos will be in charge of foreign and defense affairs; Evangelos Venizelos will be responsible for interior and public administration; Vasso Papandreou will be the shadow economy and finance minister; Christos Protopappas will oversee health policy and Michalis Chrysochoidis will look after education.

All five shadow ministers have previously served as ministers. Three more former ministers were also named to the parliamentary council: Telemachos Hytiris, who will be in charge of culture, sports and media; Christos Papoutsis, who will oversee development, tourism and merchant marine policy, and Alekos Papadopoulos, who will be responsible for justice and public order matters.

The rising stars and newcomers taking up the remaining places are Euro MP Andreas Loverdos (public works and environment), Maria Damanaki (labor and social security), Dinos Rovlias (transport and telecommunications) and Vangelis Argyris (agricultural development).