Greece chooses former central bank VP as interim leader
Greece has named an interim leader, Lucas Papademos, whose chief charge will be to make sure Greece does what it must to continue receiving the bailouts and rescue financing to keep its government operating while also servicing its debt.
Lucas Papademos, the former vice president of the European Central Bank, has been chosen to be Greece's interim leader, the BBC reported Thursday morning.
The announcement is the culmination of days of negotiations, which collapsed at least once, and puts Greece back on the path to dealing with its debt and its deficits in accordance with the requirements set forth by the European Union.
"The president, after recommendations by political leaders who attended the meeting, has instructed Lucas Papademos to form a new government," said the office of Greek President Karolos Papoulias. Papoulias' position is a mostly symbolic one.
Papademos replaces Prime Minister George Papandreou, who agreed on Sunday to step down once a new government was formed. According to the New York Times, Papademos is seen as being outside the political system that dominates in Greece.
"News reports earlier this week said that Mr. Papademos was insisting on several measures he believed were crucial to his success, including a minimum of at least six months at the helm. Earlier, Greece’s major political parties had agreed to new elections in just 100 days," the Times wrote.
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