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By Kerin Hope in Athens
Wanted: a temporary prime minister for small eurozone country in distress. Must be an economist with international background, fluent in Greek. No political experience required.
George Papandreou, premier, and Antonis Samaras, leader of the opposition conservative New Democracy party, postponed naming an interim prime minister until Monday after failing to reach agreement on a suitable candidate at Sunday’s meeting.
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Only a handful of candidates fit the job description for prime minister to succeed Mr Papandreou, according to senior Greek politicians.
The frontrunner is Lucas Papademos, a former vice-president of the European Central Bank, who helped steer Greece into the euro while serving as the country’s central bank governor in the 1990s.
Mr Papademos has acted at times as an unofficial adviser to the outgoing prime minister since the debt crisis erupted, but he has avoided involvement in Greek affairs since he left the ECB in May.
It was unclear on Sunday night whether he would accept the post, even though he would only have to serve for about 10 weeks, with a general election expected in late January. But his stature and contacts in Europe would prove useful to the new government as it tries to come to grips with the terms of the new bail-out package.
If Mr Papademos prefers to continue his academic career, the premier’s job may be offered to Stavros Dimas, a former European commissioner for the environment, who has worked for the World Bank before entering politics.
Mr Dimas, a former lawmaker with the New Democracy party, held economic portfolios in several governments. His experience and contacts in Brussels could help build confidence in Greece’s ability to implement the new bail-out plan.
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