Alexis Tsipras sworn in as PM of Greece for second time in 8 months

Alexis Tsipras of Syriza party on 21 September 2015 was on sworn in as the Prime Minister of Greece by the President of Greece Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

It was the second sworn in for him as his party stood victorious in the general elections held to the parliament in January 2015 also.

In the recent elections held on 20 September 2015, Syriza secured 35 percent of total votes resulting in 144 seats in the 300-seat Parliament.

Syriza formed a coalition government with the Independent Greeks Party, a partner in the previous government as well.

The snap polls were called after Syriza lost its majority in August 2015 in the Parliament.

Some of its members left the party as they were opposed to the European Union sponsored 86 billion US dollar bailout package for which Tsiparis agreed to.

The present victory for Syriza is expected to give another opportunity for Greece to effectively deal with its chronic financial crisis and emigrants influx from Syria.

About Alexis Tsipras

• Born in 1974 in Athens, he joined the Young Communists in the 1980s.
• In 1991, he organised a highly publicised occupation of his high school during which students slept and ate together.
• He took over leadership of the SYRIZA party in 2008 at the age of 34.
• The party is an amalgam of left wing groups, ranging from Maoists to Greens, who came together before the 2004 elections to the Parliament.
• In January 2015, he became the youngest Prime Minister of Greece since 1865 at 40.
• He became the first PM to take a civil rather than a religious oath of office as he did so without the traditional oath on a Bible and blessing of basil and water from the Greek Archbishop.

Now get latest Current Affairs on mobile, Download # 1  Current Affairs App