A cabinet of professors and diplomats has been sworn in in Greece to steer the debt-ridden eurozone state into repeat elections on 17 June. Panagiotis Pikrammenos, the senior judge who has taken over as prime minister, said the cabinet’s sole task was to lead the country into the polls. The 300 MPs elected on 6 May are taking their seats for a single day. Voters punished the two mainstream parties which agreed the cuts required under international bailouts. A 130bn euro (£104bn; $165bn) bailout was agreed earlier this year, following a 2010 package of 110bn euros.
Fears that Greece may leave the eurozone are causing uncertainty about the monetary union’s future, despite attempts by politicians and bankers to play down the potential impact. Greeks have been withdrawing their savings from banks, with nearly a third of deposits taken out in the first quarter of this year, Reuters news agency reports. At least 700m euros have left Greek banks since 7 May, President Karolos Papoulias told party leaders this week after being briefed by central bank governor George Provopoulos.
Full Article: BBC News – Greece names caretaker cabinet ahead of new elections.