Calamos Supports Greece
GreekReporter.comGreecePM Papandreou Announces New Cabinet

PM Papandreou Announces New Cabinet

A sweeping reshuffle of the government was announced after midnight on Monday.  This occured less than a year after the elections that brought  ruling socialist PASOK party in power last October.
Government spokesman George Petalotis who will remain in his position, announced that Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou will also remain at the helm of the ministry while the country struggles to exit a severe economic crisis since late 2009.
According to local analysts and media reports, Prime Minister George Papandreou seeks to strengthen his team with the reshuffle in order to alleviate the nation’s financial crisis.  The new team is larger than the former.
Deputy Prime Minister Theodoros Pangalos also retains his post.  Outgoing Interior Minister Yannis Ragoussis was deemed Presidency Minister, who is responsible for coordination of the government.
Harris Pampoukis gets the portfolio of Foreign Investments, which is a priority for Greece as it tries to slash a huge budget deficit that now stands at 13.6% of GDP.  He is responsible for the return  of development over a three year period with the assistance of EU and the International Monetary Fund.
Regarding other key post changes, Papandreou left the portfolio of Foreign Minister to outgoing Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas.  He replaced Economy, Shipping and Competitiveness Minister Louka Katseli with the current Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysohoidis.
The ministry has been renamed to Ministry of Regional Development and Competitiveness. Current PASOK National Council Secretary Socratis Xynidis will serve as a Deputy Minister responsible for northern Greece.
Katseli will be the new Labor and Social Security Minister, while outgoing Labor Minister Andreas Loverdos moves to the post of Health and Social Solidarity Ministry.
Secretary of PASOK’s parliamentary group Christos Papoutsis is named as the new Citizen Protection Minister. Giannis Diamantidis is now head of the new Ministry of Shipping, which will be separated from the Economy Ministry and renamed as Ministry of Sea Transportation, Islands and Fishing.
Outgoing Health Minister Marilisa Xenoyannakopoulou receives the post of Alternate Foreign Minister responsible for European Affairs, while Pavlos Geroulanos remains as culture and tourism minister.  Evangelos Venizelos is the Defense Minister, Dimitris Reppas is the Infrastructure Minister and Anna Diamantopoulou is the Education Minister. Tina Birbili will remain as Environment Protection and Climate Change Minister.  Harris Kastanidis is the Justice, Transparency and Human Rights Minister.
Kostas Skandalidis will be the new head of the Agriculture Ministry by replacing Katerina Batzeli.  Batzeli is the most prominent minister to be left out of the new cabinet.
The composition of the new cabinet is as follows:
Prime Minister: George Papandreou
Government Vice President: Theodoros Pangalos
Interior Minister : Yiannis Rangoussis
Deputy Ministers: George Dolios & Theodora Tzakri
Finance Minister: George Papaconstantinou
Deputy Ministers: Filippos Sahinidis & Dimitris Kouselas
Foreign Minister: Dimitris Droutsas
Alternate Minister: Mariliza Xenoyiannakopoulou
Deputy Ministers: Spyros Kouvelis, Dimitris Dollis
National Defence Minister: Evangelos Venizelos
Alternate Minister: Panos Beglitis
Regional Development and Competitiveness Minister: Mihalis Chrysohoidis
Alternate Minister: Socratis Xenidis
Deputy Ministers: Panayiotis Rigas, Dinos Rovlias
Maritime Affairs, Islands and Fisheries Minister: Yiannis Diamantidis
Deputy Minister: Elpida Tsouri
Environment Minister: Tina Birbili
Alternate Minister: Nikos Sifounakis
Deputy Ministers: Yiannis Maniatis, Thanos Moraitis
Education Minister: Anna Diamantopoulou
Alternate Minister: Fofi Yennimata
Deputy Ministers: Evi Christofilopoulou & Yiannis Panaretos
Infrastructures, Transports and Networks Minister: Dimitris Reppas
Deputy Ministers: Yiannis Mangriotis & Spyros Vougias
Labour and Social Insurance Minister: Louka Katseli
Alternate Minister: Giorgos Koutroumanis
Deputy Ministers: Vassilis Kegkeroglou & Anna Dalara
Health and Social Solidarity Minister: Andreas Loverdos
Deputy Ministers: Christos Aidonis & Mihalis Timosidis
Agricultural Development and Food Minister: Costas Skandalidis
Deputy Ministers: Milena Apostolaki & Yiannis Koutsoukos
Justice, Transparency and Human Rights Minister: Haris Kastanidis
Citizen’s Protection Minister: Christos Papoutsis
Deputy Minister: Emmanuel Othonas
Culture and Tourism Minister: Pavlos Geroulanos
Alternate Minister: Telemachos Hytiris
Deputy Minister: Giorgos Nikitiadis
State Minister: Haris Pamboukis
Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and Government Spokesman: George Petalotis

See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!



Related Posts