Greece names hardline anti-bailout finance minister

Greece named hardline leftwing economist Yanis Varoufakis as finance minister Jan. 27, handing him the pivotal task of renegotiating the debt-stricken nation's bailout with international creditors after it voted overwhelmingly to reject years of austerity politics.
      
The appointment of Varoufakis to the potentially explosive role is seen as a signal that the new anti-austerity Syriza-led government will take a hard line in haggling over the 240-billion-euro ($269 billion) EU-IMF package.
      
The polyglot Varoufakis, 53, a professor nicknamed "Dr Doom" for his stance on Greece's economic woes, is a vocal critic of the conditions imposed in return for the 2010 bailout and argues the shattered country can never recover until they are relaxed.
      
His was the most eye-catching appointment in 40-year-old Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's new cabinet, which gave the first glimpse of a government that promises to challenge at every level the eurozone's belt-tightening measures.
      
The burly Panos Kammenos was named defence minister in return for leading his small nationalist Independent Greeks (ANEL) party into a coalition government with Syriza.
      
Kammenos threatens to be a controversial member of the government because of his claims that Germany, and its insistence on budgetary rigour, is the main cause of Greece's economic misery.
      
Greece's European partners have been quick to pour cold water on the issue of debt forgiveness since Syriza stormed to a stunning election victory in Sunday's snap general election.
      
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said Monday that Greece's membership of the eurozone "means... sticking to its previous commitments."       

Merkel...