Unelected technocrats have taken over Italy and Greece as the two countries continue to battle a growing debt crisis. In Italy, former European commissioner Mario Monti has replaced former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who resigned on Saturday. In Greece, Lucas Papademos, a former European Central Bank vice president, has been sworn in as prime minister, replacing George Papandreou. Earlier today, a group of protesters gathered in front of the Greek parliament accusing the new government of working in the interests of bankers. Inspectors from the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and European Union are due to start arriving in Athens today to push Greece to take sweeping austerity measures. In Rome, people sang, danced and opened bottles of champagne on Saturday following Berlusconi’s resignation. An impromptu orchestra near the palace played the Hallelujah chorus from George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” soon after he stepped down.
Unelected Technocrats Take Control in Italy, Greece, as Debt Crisis Grows
HeadlineNov 14, 2011