ATHENS, Greece – Greece’s new prime minister, a top judge who is the country’s first female premier, was to name the members of her caretaker government Friday as the country heads to early elections next month, the third time Greeks will go to the polls this year.
The appointments come a day after Supreme Court head Vassiliki Thanou was sworn into office. The 65-year-old was appointed after outgoing prime minister Alexis Tsipras resigned last week, barely seven months into his four-year mandate, following a rebellion by members of his radical-left Syriza party who objected to his agreement with the conditions of Greece’s third international bailout.
Tsipras has said he needs a stronger mandate to implement the tough austerity measures accompanying the three-year, 86 billion euro bailout, but an opinion poll published in the left-leaning Efimerida ton Syntakton newspaper Friday found small support for his move.
Sixty-four per cent said Tsipras’ decision to call the snap poll was wrong, compared to 24 per cent who considered it correct. The remainder took no position or did not reply.
Sixty-eight per cent said they believe the country should remain within the euro even if it means further austerity measures and sacrifices. Asked whether the government got the best deal it could for the third bailout, 48 per cent said yes and 45 per cent disagreed.
The poll was conducted by the ProRata company on Aug. 25-26 with a sample of 1,000 people nationwide and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
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