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'Greece has a government'

June 20, 2012

Greek politicians appear to have succeeded where some feared they would fail: New Democracy conservatives, Pasok Socialists and the Democratic Left seem to have clinched a deal to form a new government.

https://p.dw.com/p/15IN9
Conservative New Democracy leader and winner in Greece's general elections Antonis Samaras makes a phone call minutes before a meeting with Socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos in the parliament in Athens June 18, 2012
Image: Reuters

Greece's coalition parties on Wednesday said they had reached an agreement after three days of talks to form a government.

"We have a government," Pasok chief Evangelos Venizelos told reporters Wednesday afternoon.

The makeup of the cabinet remained unclear, though New Democracy chief Antonis Samaras was expected to be sworn in as prime minister later in the day. His party was the biggest winner in parliamentary elections on Sunday.

Democratic Left leader Kouvelis Fotis said his party would support the new government in the parliament. He said the details were still in the works.

"I believe that by tonight the political platform will be completed," he said.

Wednesday is the deadline for Samaras to form a government. President Karolos Papoulias had given him three days to complete the task. He is scheduled to meet with the president within hours to inform him of the result.

The new government is expected to try to renegotiate the terms of Greece's EU-IMF bailout.

ncy/ccp (Reuters, AFP, AP)

The leader of the Socialist PASOK party Evangelos Venizelos (R) meets the leader of the Democratic Left party Fotis Kouvelis in Athens June 19, 2012. Greece's conservatives expect to be able to form a coalition government with the Socialists on Tuesday, allowing the two parties that dominated politics for decades to share power despite a major anti-establishment election vote. REUTERS/John Kolesidis (GREECE - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS)
Fotis and Venizelos are party to the dealImage: Reuters