希臘任命新財政部長

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has named a new finance minister in a cabinet reshuffle designed to tackle the country's crippling debt crisis.

A government spokesman announced Friday that current Defense Minister Evangelos Venizelos will be the new finance minister, replacing George Papaconstantinou, who moves to the environment ministry.

European Union economic chief Olli Rehn said Thursday he is confident eurozone ministers will grant a $17 billion loan payment to Greece to prevent Athens from defaulting on its debt.

Greece has promised to carry out economic reforms in exchange for last year's $160 billion bailout from the EU and International Monetary Fund.

Two ruling Socialist Party members of parliament quit Thursday to protest Mr. Papandreou's handling of the of the economic crisis. Greeks have turned out in droves to a series of nationwide protests against the economy and austerity measures, outraged that they are being asked to make more sacrifices.希臘總理潘帕德里歐在一次內閣改組中任命了新財政部長。這次改組是爲了應對讓希臘經濟陷於癱瘓的債務危機。

希臘政府發言人星期五宣佈，現任國防部長維尼澤洛斯將改任財政部長，接替帕帕康斯坦蒂努的職務，而帕帕康斯坦蒂努將在環境部就職。

歐盟經濟事務首腦瑞恩星期四說，他相信歐元區各國的部長將爲希臘提供170億美元貸款，以避免希臘拖欠債務。

希臘已經承諾實行經濟改革，以換取歐盟和國際貨幣基金組織去年爲希臘提供1600億美元救助資金。

希臘執政黨社會黨的兩名議員星期四辭職，抗議潘帕德里歐對經濟危機的處理方式。希臘人舉行了一系列針對經濟狀況和緊縮措施的大規模抗議，他們對政府要求自己做出更多犧牲感到憤怒。