Perhaps the most significant change in the ministerial cabinet selected by Mr. Tsipras is that the financial team that will be called, to a great extent, to implement the agreement with the creditors is staffed by people with experience and a good rapport with the Europeans. It is the team that negotiated the new bailout and is fully aware of the requirements and efforts needed to be implemented.
Otherwise there are no surprises in the new government, neither with regards to the people or the number of ministers. The main officers, with some changes, were included in the previous Tsipras cabinet. The changes that were carried out mostly involved officers such as Mr. Baltas, who caused much friction with the policies he pursued in the sensitive sector of education. It also worth noting that, with the exception of Mr. Mouzalas, the ministerial council is populated by SYRIZA officers who stood by Mr. Tsipras in the crisis which the party faced. There is also a greater number of officers who came from PASOK.
Clearly the Prime Minister decided to trust the officers who were by his side in the past few months. He did not dare or deem necessary to appeal to people outside of his party, but rather he opted for internal reorganization to address the problems that emerged during his previous tenure.
The new government does not have much time available, as there are major unresolved issues and the significant decisions that will need to be made. The greatest challenge will be to implement the measures and reforms of the new bailout, which in turn will determine the return of the country and economy to stability and normalcy. The margins are tight and society’s expectations are high. The next few months will demonstrate whether Mr. Tsipras made the most appropriate choices to serve this effort.
TO VIMA
