Negotiations for the new ministries and ministers of Greece

Author: newsroom  | Published: January 27, 2015

Greece’s new Prime Minister A. Tsipras was calling candidate ministers until late last night

Greece’s next Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is expected to announce the new ministerial council on Tuesday, shortly before their swearing-in ceremony. According to sources, the first telephone calls to new ministers have been made, though the composition of Greece’s new government will be finalized on Tuesday morning.

Panagiotis Lafazanis will reportedly be the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform, a new “super ministry” that merges the authorities of the ministries of the Interior, of Administrative Reform and E-Governance, of Public Order and Ctizen Protection and of Macedonia and Thrace. Panos Skourletis may find himself a post in this ministry also.

Panagiotis Kouroumblis is expected to be the new Minister of Health that will be renamed the Ministry of Health and Social Security.

The new Economy, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism ministry will merge the services and authorities of the ministries of Development and Competitiveness, of Shipping and Aegean of Tourism and infrastructure, Transport and Networks. The responsibility of Greek finances will go to Yiannis Dragasakis, Yanis Varoufakis and Efkleidis Tsakalotos, whereas George Stathakis is also expected to have a chief post.

Foreign affairs will go to Nikos Kotzias and Nadia Valavani with Nikos Houndis being considered for European matters.

National Defense is expected to go to anti-austerity rightist Independent Greeks (ANEL) leader Panos Kammenos, who agreed on Monday to form a coalition with Mr. Tsipras, whereas Thodoros Dritsas will be the alternate minister.

Minister of State is Nikos Pappas and Nikos Xydakis will be the government spokesman.

Aristeidis Baltas is tipped to go to the Ministry of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs, under which the Ministry of Culture and Sports will merge with Education and Religious Affairs.

The Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Welfare are to be renamed the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity with tips that Rania Antonopoulou and Dimitris Stratoulis expected to be involved in this sector. The General Secretariat of Social Security is to be transferred from the ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity to the ministry of Health and Social Security.

Authorities, jobs and staff members of the merged ministries are to be transferred to the new ones.