A new coalition government under Prime Minster Alexis Tsipras was sworn in during a ceremony at the Presidential Mansion on January 27. The new cabinet of 41 members includes SYRIZA and Independent Greeks (ANEL) party representatives.

Keeping to its campaign promises to reduce the size of ministries, the new government consists of 13 ministry portfolios, 20 alternate ministers and 6 deputy ministers. The number of women serving totals 6; four of them are alternate ministers and two are deputy ministers.

The new government indicated that an overhaul was the first step in a necessary renewal of the Greek state. The overhaul involved the merging of some ministries, as follows: the creation of a Ministry of Economy, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism; the Ministry of Productive Reconstruction, Environment and Energy; and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Religious Affairs. Moreover, there is a new ministry, notably one that will focus on combating corruption, to be headed by the former head of Greece’s anti-money laundering agency, Panayiotis Nikoloudis.

The first meeting of Greece's new cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, takes place today.

The 15-member cabinet council - including Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Government Vice-President Yiannis Dragasakis and the 13 ministers - will meet every week, the newly-established government announced yesterday.