Greece’s new prime minister to name caretaker cabinet

Vassiliki Thanou, 65, take a religious oath during a swearing in ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Athens, on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015, to become Greece's first female prime minister. Greece came one step closer on Thursday to early elections with President Prokopis Pavlopoulos appointing the head of the country's Supreme Court as caretaker prime minister to lead the country to next month's polls. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) Vassiliki Thanou, 65, take a religious oath during a swearing in ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Athens, on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015, to become Greece's first female prime minister. Greece came one step closer on Thursday to early elections with President Prokopis Pavlopoulos appointing the head of the country's Supreme Court as caretaker prime minister to lead the country to next month's polls. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

By Associated Press August 28, 2015 1 min read

ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Greece’s new prime minister, a top judge who is the country’s first female premier, is to name the members of her caretaker government as the country heads to early elections next month, the third time Greeks will go to the polls this year.

Supreme Court head Vassiliki Thanou was to name the members of her cabinet Friday, a day after being sworn into office. The 65-year-old was appointed after outgoing prime minister Alexis Tsipras resigned last week, barely seven months into his four-year mandate, following a rebellion by members of his radical-left Syriza party who objected to his agreement with the conditions of Greece’s third international bailout.

Tsipras has said he needs a stronger mandate to implement the tough austerity measures accompanying the three-year, 86 billion euro bailout.