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1st LD Writethru: Greece's new Left-led government announced, Euclid Tsakalotos returns as FinMin

Xinhua, September 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

Greece's new Left-led government was announced on Tuesday evening following Sunday's national polls and was due to be sworn in on Wednesday morning.

Euclid Tsakalotos who briefly served as Finance Minister during the first term of the Radical Left SYRIZA-led government this year and held a crucial role in reaching an agreement on the third Greek bailout in the summer, returns to the key post.

Yorgos Chouliarakis, who served as Finance Minister in the three- week interim government that led the country to the snap elections and was a leading member of the Greek team in bailout negotiations with international creditors in recent years, will be Alternate Finance Minister.

The duet will be in the spotlight in coming months as Greece implements the painful austerity and reform commitments under the new bailout and seeks a debt relief.

In first comments on the composition of the cabinet which was announced by the government's spokeswoman Olga Gerovassilis, media commentators and political analysts in Athens noted that the core is comprised of ministers who served in Alexis Tsipras' first government from January to August.

Among other key figures in the new cabinet lineup are Yannis Dragassakis who returns as Deputy Prime Minister and Yorgos Stathakis as Economy, Development and Tourism Minister.

Panos Kammenos, the leader of the Right-wing Independent Greeks (ANEL) party which was the junior partner also in the first ruling coalition with SYRIZA, was appointed again as Defense Minister.

Theodoros Dritsas was named Shipping Minister in the new government. He held the same portfolio in Tsipras' first cabinet.

Nikos Kotzias returns as Foreign Affairs Minister, while Nikos Mouzalas, the caretaker Migration Policy Minister retains the post which has gained significance in recent months as Greece and Europe face an unprecedented refugee influx emergency.

On Wednesday afternoon Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras who was sworn in on Monday evening will depart for Brussels to take part in an emergency summit on the refugee and migrant crisis. Endit