Greece’s new cabinet sworn in
Greek President Karolos Papoulias presided over the swearing-in ceremony of the cabinet at the Presidential Palace in central Athens shortly after 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday, following a reshuffle announced by the coalition government on Monday which saw several key ministers, including for Finance, being replaced.
The ceremony was conducted by Archbishop Ieronymos.
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Monday replaced Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras with economist and former prime-ministerial adviser Gikas Hardouvelis as part of a sweeping reshuffle.
Other key changes include Sofia Voultepsi taking over as government spokesperson from Simos Kedikoglou, who left the government.
New Democracy MP Argyris Dinopoulos has been appointed interior minister, replacing Yiannis Michelakis, who was not given another post, and ND MP Constantinos Tasoulas took over as head of the Culture Ministry, ejecting Panos Panayiotopoulos, while Education Minister Constantinos Arvanitopoulos was replaced by former PASOK minister Andreas Loverdos.
ND’s parliamentary spokesman Makis Voridis has been appointed head of the Health Ministry, replacing Adonis Georgiadis, while the new public order minister is ND’s Vassilis Kikilias, replacing Nikos Dendias who took over the Development Ministry portfolio from Costis Hatzidakis. The Agricultural Development portfolio meanwhile has gone to ND’s Giorgos Karasmanis who replaces Athanasios Tsaftaris.
Those staying in their posts include Evangelos Venizelos, as deputy PM and foreign minister, Defense Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, Environment Minister Yiannis Maniatis, Transport Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis, Tourism Minister Olga Kefaloyianni and Labor Minister Yiannis Vroutsis.
Venizelos was unable to attend the ceremony after being briefly hospitalized with stomach complaints earlier in the day.
The swearing-in ceremony will be followed by the new cabinet’s first meeting before the newly-appointed ministers assume their posts.
