Caretaker Prime Minister sworn in ahead of Greece’s second elections

·

Senior judge, Ioannis Sarmas, was sworn in as Greece’s caretaker Prime Minister on Thursday, ahead of the country’s new national elections to be held in about a month.

According to Ekathimerini, Sarmas was sworn in at the Presidential Mansion in the presence of Greece’s President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

Sarmas will head a 16-member caretaker government, in which a former Greek ambassador to the United States, Vassilios Kaskarelis, will be Foreign Minister. The key finance ministry will be headed by economist Theodore Pelagidis, deputy governor of Greece’s central bank.

Swearing in ceremony. Photos: Intime News.

The senior judge is taking over from center-right Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections on May 21 but was unable to form a majority government.

The leaders of the top three political parties in Greece – Mitsotakis, SYRIZA’s Alexis Tsipras, and PASOK’s Nikos Androulakis – all turned down the exploratory mandates to form a government.

New elections will be held, with June 25 seen as the likeliest date, under a different electoral system which gives the first party up to 50 extra seats in Parliament. Mitsotakis hopes that vote will secure him a governing majority.

READ MORE: Here’s how Greeks in Australia voted during Greece’s national elections.

Source: Ekathimerini and AP News.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Mother’s Day for Greek Australians: A time for love, memory and reflection

The roots of Mother’s Day can be traced back to Ancient Greek and Roman festivals which honoured the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele.

Greek olive oil poised for growth in booming Australian market

A study by the Economic and Commercial Affairs Office of the Greek Consulate in Sydney highlights strong opportunities for Greek olive oil.

The Greek alphabet may be older than first thought

Associate Professor Willemijn Waal, with the help of a Vici grant, aims to explore whether the alphabet could be several centuries older.

Evangelos Demos to give seminar on the geopolitics of Greek foreign policy

Evangelos Demos is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney under the supervision of Professor Vrasidas Karalis.

Niki Louca shares her recipe for Daktylies (Cypriot-style bread)

Niki Louca from My Greek Kitchen shares her favourite recipe for Daktylies (Cypriot-style bread) with The Greek Herald.

You May Also Like

Russian shelling damages Consulate of Greece in Ukrainian city of Mariupol

The building that housed the Consulate General of Greece in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol has been damaged by the Russian army.

Greek comedy-drama production in SA promises a ‘roller-coaster ride’ of emotions

As part of South Australia’s Odyssey Greek Festival, the play 'Mana, Mitera, Mama!' will be performed this weekend.

Greece sets pandemic record for new cases with whopping 21,657

Greece on Tuesday announced the highest ever number of new coronavirus infections with a whopping 21,657 cases.