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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 11093
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS / (ae) greece

Rumours that Stournaras will lose post in reshuffle

Brussels, 03/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Greek cabinet is about to be re-shuffled for the second time in twelve months. Greek media say the re-shuffle will take place on Wednesday and Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras will lose his job. He has been finance minister, the most controversial job in government, for the past two years, and Greece is how hoping to come out of recession - and the economic adjustment programme - this year, but Stournaras is reported to want to leave, saying that he has done his job and got a primary budget surplus this year, which had been laid down as a precondition for talks on reducing the country's colossal debt burden. Stournaras may become the head of the country's national bank as a way of thanking him for his achievements, or made a European commissioner in Brussels, a job that the current Greek development minister, Costis Hadzidakis, also has his eyes on. The central bank governor post falls vacant on 21 June. Stournaras may be succeeded by parliamentarian Makis Voridis, who would follow the same path, stressing the need to continue the reform process, or Nikos Dendias, public order minister. As a piece of advice to his successor on Monday, Stournaras told the Globe and Mail that Greeks had the moral right to negotiate hard for a reduction in their debt. (EL)