Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is promising “brighter days” after a cabinet reshuffle.<br /><br /> “We have to repair what is going wrong, to change certain attitudes and take all the action needed to pull the country out of the long-lasting economic crisis. We have made all the necessary changes in the cabinet to do this,” Tsipras told reporters.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Why has Tsipras done this?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Analysts see it as an attempt to speed up reforms Athens has agreed to implement under its latest international bailout deal and to shore up his government’s popularity.<br /><br /> But Tsipras has signalled he will stick with the fiscal course agreed with the EU and IMF by keeping Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos in his post.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Why now?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Greece wants to wrap up a review on labour reforms and fiscal issues swiftly in order to qualify for more debt relief.<br /><br /> Athens also wants to be included in the European Central Bank’s bond-buying programme.<br /><br /> This will help it regain access to the bond market by 2018, when its current bailout programme expires.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Has the cabinet changed much?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> No.<br /><br /> Tsipras switched his ministers around has brought few new faces to his cabinet.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /> Dimitris Liakos – responsible for the implementation of Greece’s bailout programme.<br /><br /> George Stathakis – Energy Minister<br /><br /> Panagiotis Kouroublis – Shipping Minister<br /><br /> Panos Skourletis – Interior Minister<br /><br /> Stergios Pitsiorlas – Deputy Finance Minister<br /><br /> Dimitris Papadimitrou – Economy and Development Minister<br /><br /> Nikos Pappas – Digital Governance and Media Minister<br /><br /> Effie Achtsioglou – Labour Minister<br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas kept his post, along with the ministers of foreign affairs, defence and tourism.<br /><br /> Tsipras set up stand-alone ministries to handle tourism – the economy’s key driver – and the crucial issue of migration.<br /><br /> Europe is struggling with its worst migrant crisis in decades and thousands are stranded in the cash-strapped country.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> The background<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Tsipras was first elected in January 2015, promising to end years of austerity.<br /><br /> He reversed course six months later and signed up to a new ballot, Greece’s third aid programme since the country’s debt crisis broke out in 2010.<br /><br /> He was re-elected in September last year, but his popularity ratings have been dropping for months.<br /><br /> His Syriza party has been trailing the conservative New Democracy party.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Euronews – all views<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Stamatis Giannisis from the Greek language service at Euronews says: “Prime Minister Tsipras made the decision to shake up his cabinet in order to boost the flagging popularity of the ruling SYRIZA party.”<br /><br /> “He also wants to convince the country’s creditors that his administration is committed to economic reforms and therefore, eligible for talks on debt relief.”<br />
