Growth is here! Greek Gov’t opens job vacancies for 6 alternate ministers

Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Politics

Growth arrived in Greece. Finally. After five years of recession. Growth is here to stay. To mark this joyful news. Prime minister Antonis Samaras opened seven job vacancies for high state positions. Published at the official government gazette are the positions for

six alternate ministers for Administrative Reform, Justice, Public Order, Tourism, Marine and Macedonia-Thrace.

immediately Greek media started to report that Samaras made the big difference: that is announcing in advance a government reshuffle.
However, Samaras’ aides dismissed “any government reshuffle” and thus before upcoming June. That is “before the Troika-program is implemented as agreed and before the summer assessment.” The country’s “international lenders should continue talking to the same people,” the sources from the prime ministry argued.
“The positions are in order to fill a legal vacuum,” Samaras’ aides told the media, hardly convincing anyone, though.
With the new posi
tions the Greek cabinet will grow to 48 persons from 41 for the time being as there is plan to open a vacancy also for a deputy Education Minister.
Private Skai TV reported citing government sources that the “new positions were in agreement with the Troika, as all ministries had to have a common structure.”
It looks as if Samaras’ coalition government partners were taken by surprise. Sources from  Socialist PASOK told media, “they heard about these vacancies from the press.” Democratic Left is still consulting on a reaction, I suppose.
I read somewhere that an alternate minister directly reports to the prime minister, while a deputy minister directly reports to the minister.

PS Should I put my bet on lack of confidence between the prime minister and some of the cabinet ministers? Or should I better try my luck and place my chip on filled-up state registers that will feed six to seven ministers (alternate or not), their staff as wells as their phone and electricity bills? Or see the whole expansion as a measure to combat unemployment among party friends and supporters?