Greece: The Continuing Crisis

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Greece tried out still another Prime Minister last week. It was far from clear whether the new man could solve the country's six-week-old political deadlock. He was 58-year-old Elias Tsirimokos, a onetime Socialist and Communist-fronter who only a few days before had deserted King Constantine's enemy, ex-Premier George Papandreou, to accept the King's invitation to form a government.

The new Prime Minister promised to seek an early vote of confidence, but at week's end he was still reshuffling his Cabinet in an attempt to gain more support in the 300-member Parliament; most counts put him still short of a majority. His selection ignited violent riots in Athens, as Papandreou's fanatic supporters, chanting "Out with the King," fought helmeted police in scores of bloody pitched battles, burned dozens of cars, and tore up paving stones as ammunition. With Athens in a frenzy, Papandreou hopped off to the boondocks to let the people there know about what he called "the attempts by the Royal Palace to set up a moribund government against the people's will."