EVANGELOS VENIZELOS resigned as Greek finance minister yesterday, signalling the start of campaigning for a general election to be held on April 29th or May 6th, after parliament approved further structural reforms required in return for a second bailout worth €174 billion.
Mr Venizelos left the coalition government one day after he was elected unopposed as the PanHellenic Socialist Movement’s leader in a ballot of party members and supporters, intended to revive grassroots participation ahead of next month’s national vote.
More than 200,000 people cast ballots for the finance minister, according to Pasok officials. He succeeded former prime minister George Papandreou, who handed power last November to a coalition government under Lucas Papademos. Tassos Giannitsis, a senior economist serving as interior minister, is expected to be the new finance minister. – (Financial Times Ltd)
