Greek PM says govt stable after cabinet reshuffle

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras today insisted his government was stable despite a reshuffle following the uproar over the disputed closure of public broadcaster ERT.
"The government intends to carry out its four-year term... Stability is more necessary than ever today, so as not to waste time and exit the crisis," said Samaras after his new cabinet was sworn in.
"Stability means better coordination between the parties that support the government... Greece has no time to lose," he added.
The conservative prime minister was forced to carry out a reshuffle yesterday, after Democratic Left, the smallest partner in the three-party government, quit the coalition over Samaras's decision to shut down ERT.

Democratic Left's withdrawal of its 14 MPs left the coalition of conservatives and socialists with a combined 153 deputies in the 300-seat parliament, just enough to hold onto control.
Samaras said his government would focus on a fast economic recovery, fighting unemployment and attracting investments. It would also avoid adopting any new austerity measures.

Heavily indebted Greece has been forced to implement painful austerity reforms in exchange for desperately-needed loans from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
The two institutions have committed an overall of 240 billion euros in rescue loans to Greece, the first victim of the debt crisis, since 2010.

Samaras's new 41-member cabinet sees the socialists getting a stronger grip on power, with its leader Evangelos Venizelos named both deputy prime minister and foreign minister.
Venizelos, who is former finance minister, negotiated a write-down of privately-held debt in 2012, together with then prime minister Lucas Papademos.