Greece swears in new Prime Minister
Archive 2015 Jan 26, 2015 Wire Editor
ATHENS (REUTERS) –
Alexis Tsipras was sworn in as the new left-wing Prime Minister of Greece yesterday.
Syriza was elected into 149 of parliament’s 300 seats, while The Independent Greeks gained 13 seats.
Sunday’s elections have rekindled fears of a financial crisis, similar to that of 2009. Tsipras’ Syriza will aim to end the past five years of economic measures.
In an unusual alliance, Tsipras quickly formed a coalition deal between his party and the small Independent Greeks party that is opposed to Greece’s EU/IMF aid program.
“At first sight this looks like a very strange marriage,” says analyst Diego Iscaro at HIS Global Insight. “Both parties share a strong opposition to austerity.”
Each party is at opposite ends of the political spectrum, but they share a mutual dislike for the way the 240-billion euro bailout system has been carried out. Tsipras insisted that Greece needs further reforms and austerity to get its finances balanced.
The 40-year-old Tsiparas became the first Prime Minister in Greek history to be appointed without the traditional oath on a Bible and the blessing of water and basil from the Archbishop of Greece. His first move as Prime Minister was to attend a commemoration in Athens for Greek resistance fighters who were executed by the Nazi’s.
