With the swearing-in of Alexis Tsipras as Greece’s new prime minister on Monday the media limelight swiftly turned to the individuals who will comprise the new SYRIZA government.
Another question unanswered throughout the day was whether the small, rightist Independent Greeks (AN.EL) party will join a bonafide leftist government or merely provide a vote of confidence in Parliament, as agreed to hours earlier in a meeting between Tsipras and AN.EL president Panos Kammenos.
All eyes remained on the new government’s economic team, and particularly on the portfolio that chief SYRIZA economic strategist Yannis Dragasakis will assume, namely, whether he will serve as finance minister or as deputy PM in charge of coordinating all the economy-related ministries.
Another top SYRIZA economist, and as of yesterday Parliament deputy, is Yiannis Stathakis, who appears close to assuming either the development or finance ministry. The role of still another top SYRIZA MP and top economist, media-savvy Yannis Varoufakis, is also undetermined.
Tsipras’ chief of staff, dubbed in the minister of state in Greek “bureaucratic-speak”, is widely expected to be his long-time aide Nikos Pappas, with MP Panos Skourletis assuming the duties of government spokesman.
The names of Nikos Kotzias and Nadia Valavani have been aired for foreign affairs.
Speculation was also rife at presstime over the prospect of a new “super-ministry” being established to include the merged ministries of the interior, administrative reform, public safety (law enforcement) and immigration.