Papandreou makes way for national-unity government Main opposition party to enter government after prime minister steps down; election within months.

Papandreou wins vote of confidence

George Papandreou, Greece’s centre-left prime minister, has said he will step down today after a coalition deal with the country’s centre-right opposition.

Papandreou, who assumed office just over two years ago, offered his resignation late yesterday (6 November) before meeting Karolos Papoulias, the president, and Antonis Samaras, leader of New Democracy, the main opposition party. They agreed in principle on a new coalition government, expected to be headed by a non-political figure, and to hold an early election, probably in February.

Lucas Papademos, an academic who was vice-president of the European Central Bank in 2002-2010 and governor of Greece’s central bank in 1994-2002, has emerged as a possible prime minister in a technocratic, cross-party government.

Evangelos Papandreou, Greece’s finance minister, and Samaras are scheduled to meet today to finalise the composition of the interim coalition government. Venizelos and Stavros Dimas, a former European commissioner who is New Democracy’s deputy leader, are also likely to attend the talks. Venizelos is then expected travel to Brussels for meetings of eurozone and EU finance ministers.

Samaras is not expected to play a role in the new government but to focus on campaigning for the early general election.

Papandreou had lost support from within his own party when he called last Monday for a referendum on the eurozone’s €130 billion bail-out for Greece. He was openly challenged by several ministers, including Venizelos, a possible successor as leader of the ruling Pasok party. But he narrowly won a vote of confidence on Friday night, allowing him to lead Pasok in negotiations on an interim coalition over the weekend.

