Caretaker government

President Katerina Sakellaropoulou issued the presidential decree dissolving Parliament and officially calling for elections on June 25 on Monday. According to the decree, the resulting Parliament will convene on Monday, July 3.

The decree is also signed by caretaker prime minister Ioannis Sarmas and members of the caretaker ministerial cabinet.

Greece's interim government received its first set of guidelines from caretaker Prime Minister Ioannis Sarmas during the inaugural session of the transitional cabinet immediately after the swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Palace on Friday.

Court of Audit President Ioannis Sarmas was sworn in as prime minister of a caretaker government that will lead Greece to a repeat round of elections on June 25, shortly after 4 p.m. on Thursday.

Sarmas was sworn in at the Presidential Mansion in the presence of President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

Ioannis Sarmas, the president of the Court of Audit, will be appointed as the caretaker prime minister by President Katerina Sakellaropoulou after party leaders were unable to reach an agreement on forming a coalition government Wednesday.

Sarmas is expected to visit the Presidential Mansion at 1 p.m., where discussions will be held regarding the selection of interim ministers.

"The Ministry of Finance is preparing the draft budget for 2023, which the Council of Ministers must submit by the end of April. In the event that at this time the negotiations to form a government are still ongoing, we will also fulfill this responsibility of ours."

The caretaker government is ready to hold early elections on April 2, Prime Minister Galab Donev said at the beginning of today's government meeting.

He stated that the political forces involved the cabinet in the election campaign.

"The state of Bulgaria's finances is stable, there is no danger for the currency board, for the exchange rate of the leva to the euro, for incomes and pensions not being paid." This was announced by acting Prime Minister Galab Donev in an interview with "Nova TV".

Acting Prime Minister Galab Donev announced that in all his actions the government led by him was guided by the Constitution, the laws and the interests of the Bulgarian citizens.

The caretaker government held an open meeting, at which it presented a report on the work done within its mandate. At the beginning of his report, acting Prime Minister Galab Donev noted that the caretaker cabinet found the country at a standstill, but has improved coordination and communication between institutions, and with its policies has changed people's lives for the better.

"The second mandate to form a regular government is underway, the end of our mandate is approaching." Acting Prime Minister Galab Donev commented before the meeting of the Council of Ministers.

The caretaker prime minister added that when they took office as a caretaker government, they had no idea that in January 2023 their interim mandate would still be in place.