New Greek Cabinet to be Announced Today, Tourism Ministry to Merge
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, sworn in on Monday evening, is set to announce his new cabinet later today, which according to sources will be much smaller after the merging of several ministries into four “super” government bureaus.
Syriza is examining the creation of a total of 10 ministries.
The tourism portfolio is set to be part of the new Economy, Infrastructure, Marine and Tourism Ministry, overseeing development and competitiveness, marine and the Aegean, tourism and infrastructure, transport and networks.
Economist George Stathakis is said to be heading the economy ministry.
The 53-year-old economist Yanis Varoufakis is tipped as being the new finance minister.
In the meantime, the shipping industry, one of the country’s driving forces, is holding its breath in expectation of the new government’s policies.
“Greek Shipping is willing to offer a great deal to the local economy under one non-negotiable condition: respect of the existing institutional framework of operation that allows it to remain globally competitive,” Greek Shipowners Union president Theodore Veniamis told a shipping conference three days before the elections, adding that Greek-owned shipping is above party policies and interests.
There will be no changes to the foreign, justice and defense ministries.
The Interior and Administrative Reconstruction Ministry is set to include the current ministries of the interior, administrative reform and e-government, public order and citizen protection and Macedonia and Thrace.
The new Productive Reconstruction, Environment and Energy Ministry is set to incorporate the current portfolios of environment, energy and climate change, rural development and the services of the general secretariat for industry of the development and competitiveness ministry.
The new Culture, Education and Religious Affairs Ministry is set to oversee culture, sport and education.
The health ministry will be renamed Health and Welfare Ministry and the current labor ministry will be renamed Labor and Social Solidarity Ministry and will include the General Secretariat for Social Security.
According to reports, positions and personnel of merging ministries will be transferred.