Veteran lawyer named interim interior minister

Antonis Roupakiotis, a veteran lawyer and former cabinet member has been named interim interior minister as Greece heads to early general elections next month, sources have said.

Roupakiotis, 81, had served briefly as labor minister in the caretaker government of Panagiotis Pikrammenos in 2012 and as justice minister under the conservative administration of Antonis Samaras from 2012 to 2013, resigning after Democratic Left pulled out of the coalition government.

According to the same sources, Labor Minister Effie Achtzioglou will act as the representative for incumbent SYRIZA, while spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos, who will be running as a lawmaker for Athens' first constituency, will be replaced by Deputy Digital Policy Minister Lefteris Kretsos.