Athens - Upi
Greece\'s new interim Cabinet was sworn in Friday, with former European Central Bank Vice President Lucas Papademos taking the role of prime minister. A total of 48 people now make up the new Grecian government including the prime minister, seven more than the previous makeup, Athens News Agency reported. Most Cabinet members served in the previous government under George Papandreou, but there are 12 new members and six members from the main opposition New Democracy party. Papademos was appointed prime minister Thursday, Ekathimerini reported. His main tasks are keeping Greece in the eurozone and implementing the terms of Greece\'s latest debt deal, a $177 billion agreement reached by the European Union Oct. 27 that includes provisions for private lenders to forgive 50 percent of Greece\'s debt. The interim leader must also secure the next $11.0696 billion in eurozone and International Monetary Fund bailouts. The new government will be in charge until the country holds early elections in February. Experts say Papademos\' appointment may quell protests and demonstrations throughout the country. \"I think he will get that kind of brief honeymoon,\" said Thanos Dokos, head of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy. \"People were desperate enough and now given a new face, a new person, who\'s not a professional politician some leeway to try to do his job in the proper way. And, of course, at some point they will be expecting some results, which I\'m afraid will not be forthcoming in the short term.\"