Greece’s Caretaker Government Sworn in

Photo source: Hellenic Parliament

Greece’s interim cabinet was officially sworn in on Friday during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace.

Led by Ioannis Sarmas, the president of the Court of Audit, the interim government will head Greece until new national elections are held in late June.

Chairing a cabinet meeting at the Maximos Mansion after the ceremony, Sarmas gave the interim ministers their first guidelines.

“We must be neutral, impartial, objective and weigh our actions and their consequences so that they are not considered to constitute intervention in favor of or against any faction in the following election campaign,” he said.

Caretaker Prime Minister Yiannis Sarmas speaking to the interim ministers during a cabinet meeting. Photo source: PM press office / ANA-MPA – Yiorgos Vitsaras

The swearing in of an interim government in Greece follows the country’s national elections on May 21. Greece’s New Democracy party failed to secure a majority vote and party leaders refused to form a coalition government.

Greece’s interim government is as follows:

• Minister of State
  Vassilis Skouris – Former Interim Interior Minister and former President of the European Court of Justice (ECJ)
• Foreign Affairs Minister
  Vassilis Kaskarelis – former Greek Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Greece to NATO during the 200-2004 period
• National Defense Minister
  Alkiviadis Stefanis – Former National Defense Deputy Minister and Head of the Hellenic Army General Staff
• Citizen Protection Minister
  Charalambos Lalousis – Former Head of the Hellenic Army General Staff specializing in Thrace and Turkey relations
• Civil Protection Minister
  Evangelos Tournas – Greek Air Force General and former Civil Protection Deputy Minister
• Culture Minister
  Yiorgos Koumentakis – Greek National Opera’s Artistic Director and composer
• Education Minister
  Christos Kittas – Professor of Medicine and former Rector of the University of Athens
• Tourism Minister
  Ioanna Dretta – Former Marketing Greece CEO
• Health Minister
  Anastasia Kotanidou – Professor of Pulmonology and Intensive Care Specialty at the University of Athens
• Interior Minister
  Kalliopi Spanou – Professor of Public Administration and Law at the University of Athens
• Justice Minister
  Filippos Spyropoulos – Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Athens
• Development and Investments Minister
  Eleni Louri – Professor at the Department of Economics of the Athens University of Economics and Business
• Minister of Economy
  Theodoros Pelagidis – Deputy Governor of the Bank of Greece
• Minister of Environment and Energy
  Pantelis Kapros – Professor of energy economics and operational research at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens
• Minister of Labor and Social Affairs
  Patrina Paparigopoulou – Professor at the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
• Minister of Immigration and Asylum
  Daniel Esdras – Former Special Envoy of the Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to the Government of Greece and Advisor of the Regional Director in matters concerning the Mediterranean area
• Minister of Digital Governance
  Sokratis Katsikas – Professor of the Department of Digital Systems of the University of Piraeus
• Minister of Infrastructure and Transport
  Yιannis Golias – Civil engineer, professor and dean of the National Technical University of Athens
• Minister of Maritime and Island Policy
  Theodoros Kliaris – Former Chief of the Hellenic Coast Guard, Vice Admiral
• Minister of Rural Development and Food
  Giorgos Tsakiris – Agronomist and topographical engineer
• Government spokesperson
  Ilias Siakantaris

Ministry handover ceremonies will take place Friday evening.