Papademos: Front Runner for Greek PM

Lucas Papademos, former deputy head of the European Central Bank, has been tipped to become Greece's next prime minister and lead the country through the worsening debt crisis, reported Reuters.

With Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou agreeing to step down from his post, the two rival parties are holding talks Monday to choose the troubled country's next leader and form the country's interim coalition government, reported ABC News. The talks comes on the heels of the historic power-sharing deal made over the weekend and acceptance of the huge financial rescue package that saves the country from immediate bankruptcy.

While Papademos, 64, has not been confirmed as the next Greek Prime Minister, he will be arriving in Athens at 5 p.m. local time to have "a say in who would be appointed to key ministries in the new government," according to Bloomberg. 

Finance minister Stefanos Manos told Reuters he thinks the interim government could be problematic:

The new prime minister will … not give the impression that he is in charge. Everyone will be looking to the two party leaders who will be running things behind the scenes. The civil service won't implement any decision and everyone will be waiting for the election.

Papademos is widely respected throughout Greece as a great scholar and top economist, reported the Daily Telegraph. He was educated at the Massachussetts Institute of Technology and is the recipient of a degree in physics, a master's in electrical engineering and a doctorate in economics. He has taught at Columbia University, Harvard University and University of Athens.

According to his bio on Harvard's website, Papademos served as Governor of the Bank of Greece for eight years, and helped move the country from its drachma currency to the Euro.

If appointed to the PM slot, Papademos would serve as Greece's leader until February 19, when general elections to elect a new permanent government would be held, reported the Press Association.

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