Greece's new Socialist Prime Minister George Papandreou will personally handle foreign affairs in the Cabinet he announced today, which merges existing portfolios, creates a new Environment Ministry and places women in key posts, according to AP. Papandreou, 57, was sworn in earlier Tuesday after his crushing election victory over the scandal-battered conservatives, chiefly won on promises of reviving the country's faltering economy. He handed the key Finance Ministry to party spokesman George Papaconstantinou, 48, while Louka Katseli, a 57-year-old economics professor at Athens University, was appointed to the new post of economy, competitiveness and shipping minister. Greece's first ever Environment, Energy and Climate Change Ministry will be headed by Tina Birbili, a close Papandreou aide and one of five women among the 15 ministers named. Papandreou, a former foreign minister and scion of one of Greece's two main political dynasties, follows in the footsteps of his father Andreas and grandfather George, both who served several terms as prime ministers. He was sworn in by Greece's Orthodox Church leader, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens, at the presidential mansion. He then walked to the neighboring prime ministerial office for the hand-over from outgoing prime minister Costas Karamanlis, who had run the country since 2004. Karamanlis, faced with his New Democracy party's worst election defeat ever _ 33.48 percent of the vote compared to 43.92 percent for the Socialist PASOK party _ has resigned as head of the conservatives.
