Headlines
Alexis Tsipras sworn in as Greek PM
Athens, Jan 26
The leader of the leftist
Syriza formation, Alexis Tsipras, took office Monday as Greece's new
prime minister after declining to swear the traditional oath before god
and vowing to uphold the constitution to President Károlos Papulias.
After
the ceremony, Tsipras and Papulias signed the decree that will pave the
way for Tsipras to become Greece's youngest-ever head of government
after his victory in Sunday's snap elections.
Papulias was given
assurances by Tsirpas that the right-wing nationalist party, Independent
Greeks, had pledged to support him in the upcoming parliamentary
confidence vote after Syriza came up two deputies short of an absolute
majority of 151 deputies in Sunday's polls.
Independent Greeks obtained 13 deputies Sunday.
"The
required absolute majority exists and we therefore are in a position to
form a government," Tsipras said but confided to Papulias he was
convinced the majority would "grow some more" during the parliament's
vote of confidence.
Before vowing in his oath to "work hard for
the well-being of the Greek people," Tsipras paid a call on the
Archbishop Hieronymous of Athens.
"I went there to assure him
Church-State relations will be even more important that they have been
in the past," Tsipras stressed.
"It will be dialogue and the best kind of cooperation possible that will bring us the best results," the Syriza leader added.












