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| New Greek Government Names Anti-Austerity Economist as Finance Minister | New Greek Government Names Anti-Austerity Economist as Finance Minister |
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| ATHENS — The leftist-led coalition that won Greece’s elections unveiled its government on Tuesday, with the crucial post of finance minister going to an economist who has called the eurozone’s austerity policies “fiscal waterboarding.” | ATHENS — The leftist-led coalition that won Greece’s elections unveiled its government on Tuesday, with the crucial post of finance minister going to an economist who has called the eurozone’s austerity policies “fiscal waterboarding.” |
| The new finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, a professor and avid blogger, will confront Greece’s international creditors in tough talks over the austerity policies, widely despised by the Greeks. Those talks could have profound consequences for Greece, the future of the euro currency and the financial integration of the European Union. | The new finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, a professor and avid blogger, will confront Greece’s international creditors in tough talks over the austerity policies, widely despised by the Greeks. Those talks could have profound consequences for Greece, the future of the euro currency and the financial integration of the European Union. |
| Twenty-two ministries have been streamlined to 10 in the new cabinet, all but one held by members of Syriza, the radical-left party that won the most votes in the Sunday elections and that has vowed to renegotiate the country’s onerous debts. | Twenty-two ministries have been streamlined to 10 in the new cabinet, all but one held by members of Syriza, the radical-left party that won the most votes in the Sunday elections and that has vowed to renegotiate the country’s onerous debts. |
| The Defense Ministry post went to Panos Kammenos, the leader of Syriza’s coalition partner, the right-wing Independent Greeks, and a handful of deputy posts went to his colleagues. | |
| But the most important post filled by the new prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, the 40-year-old leader of Syriza, was his choice of finance minister: Mr. Varoufakis, 53, who left a teaching post at the University of Texas to join Syriza’s election campaign. He has also served as a consultant to the online gaming company, Valve, and as a visiting professor at the University of Athens. | |
| Besides his strong opposition to both austerity in the eurozone and the current terms for repaying Greece’s debts, Mr. Varoufakis has vowed to crack down on the country’s oligarchs and alleviate what has been called a humanitarian crisis. | Besides his strong opposition to both austerity in the eurozone and the current terms for repaying Greece’s debts, Mr. Varoufakis has vowed to crack down on the country’s oligarchs and alleviate what has been called a humanitarian crisis. |
| Mr. Varoufakis faces formidable opposition from other eurozone finance ministers, who met in Brussels on Monday. While they said they would talk with the new Greek government on the terms of continued financial aid, they expressed opposition to any debt relief, for the time being at least. | |
| On Tuesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany struck a more conciliatory tone in a statement congratulating Mr. Tsipras on his election, wishing him “much strength and success” while noting that “you are taking office in a difficult time in which you face great responsibility.” | On Tuesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany struck a more conciliatory tone in a statement congratulating Mr. Tsipras on his election, wishing him “much strength and success” while noting that “you are taking office in a difficult time in which you face great responsibility.” |
| Mr. Varoufakis’s predecessors, Yannis Stournaras and Gikas Hardouvelis, were instrumental in imposing the tough austerity policies demanded by a so-called troika of international creditors — the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The creditors have given Greece two bailouts worth 240 billion euros since 2010 in exchange for punishing cutbacks that have slashed household incomes by a third and fueled a fierce public backlash against the austerity measures. | Mr. Varoufakis’s predecessors, Yannis Stournaras and Gikas Hardouvelis, were instrumental in imposing the tough austerity policies demanded by a so-called troika of international creditors — the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The creditors have given Greece two bailouts worth 240 billion euros since 2010 in exchange for punishing cutbacks that have slashed household incomes by a third and fueled a fierce public backlash against the austerity measures. |
| Greece’s new finance minister is to work closely with Giannis Dragasakis, a founder of Syriza and the only member of the party’s elite with experience in government, having served as deputy finance minister in a short-lived unity government more than two decades ago. Now in the post of deputy prime minister, Mr. Dragasakis, 68, will oversee the enforcement of economic policy and negotiations with the troika of lenders. | Greece’s new finance minister is to work closely with Giannis Dragasakis, a founder of Syriza and the only member of the party’s elite with experience in government, having served as deputy finance minister in a short-lived unity government more than two decades ago. Now in the post of deputy prime minister, Mr. Dragasakis, 68, will oversee the enforcement of economic policy and negotiations with the troika of lenders. |
| Another important post went to an economist, Giorgos Stathakis, who takes over an expanded ministry encompassing economy, infrastructure, shipping and tourism. A deputy minister from the Independent Greeks was appointed to focus on tourism, one of the few sectors shoring up the fragile Greek economy. | Another important post went to an economist, Giorgos Stathakis, who takes over an expanded ministry encompassing economy, infrastructure, shipping and tourism. A deputy minister from the Independent Greeks was appointed to focus on tourism, one of the few sectors shoring up the fragile Greek economy. |
| The new government spokesman is Gavriil Sakellaridis, 34, Syriza’s runner-up in last year’s contest for Athens mayor. He takes over from Panos Skourletis, who is to become the labor minister, with a deputy to focus on reducing unemployment, which remains close to 26 percent. The job of foreign minister went to Nikos Kotzias, a respected academic and former head of an influential Greek research organization. | The new government spokesman is Gavriil Sakellaridis, 34, Syriza’s runner-up in last year’s contest for Athens mayor. He takes over from Panos Skourletis, who is to become the labor minister, with a deputy to focus on reducing unemployment, which remains close to 26 percent. The job of foreign minister went to Nikos Kotzias, a respected academic and former head of an influential Greek research organization. |
| The coalition also tapped Yannis Panousis, a criminologist allied with the center-left party Democratic Left, which did not make it into Parliament in Sunday’s elections. He is to take the role of public order minister under a broader Interior Ministry led by Nikos Voutsis, a prominent Syriza official. | The coalition also tapped Yannis Panousis, a criminologist allied with the center-left party Democratic Left, which did not make it into Parliament in Sunday’s elections. He is to take the role of public order minister under a broader Interior Ministry led by Nikos Voutsis, a prominent Syriza official. |
| A new ministry, for fighting corruption, is to be led by the former head of Greece’s anti-money-laundering authority, Panagiotis Nikoloudis, as Syriza seeks to make good on pledges to curb the graft and wasteful spending widely perceived to have created Greece’s debt crisis. | A new ministry, for fighting corruption, is to be led by the former head of Greece’s anti-money-laundering authority, Panagiotis Nikoloudis, as Syriza seeks to make good on pledges to curb the graft and wasteful spending widely perceived to have created Greece’s debt crisis. |
| Syriza’s hard-left faction, known as the Left Platform, which has questioned Greece’s continued presence in the eurozone, will be represented in the government by the outspoken Panagiotis Lafazanis who took the post of environment and energy. | Syriza’s hard-left faction, known as the Left Platform, which has questioned Greece’s continued presence in the eurozone, will be represented in the government by the outspoken Panagiotis Lafazanis who took the post of environment and energy. |
| In another jolt to the Greek establishment, the new government proposed that the role of Parliament speaker go to Zoe Konstantopoulou of Syriza, a tough-talking lawyer who has had furious clashes in the House with leading figures from the two main parties that dominated Greek politics for decades, New Democracy and Pasok. | |
| The appointment must be approved by a vote in Parliament. | The appointment must be approved by a vote in Parliament. |