Former Greek finance minister Yannis Stournaras, who spearheaded Greece’s return to economic stability after it nearly crashed out of the euro, is to become the next Bank of Greece governor, the central bank said yesterday.
Stournaras, 57, will take over from George Provopoulos when the latter’s term ends on June 19, days after being replaced as finance minister as part of a wide cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. His appointment means he will be a member of the European Central Bank’s Governing Council.
Stournaras is an economist, a former CEO of a commercial Greek ban, headed Greece’s influential think-tank IOBE, and was a government economic adviser when Greece joined the eurozone.
He has been credited with dragging the country back from the brink of bankruptcy when he was appointed finance minister in 2012.
Since then, Greece has steadied its finances and is now expected to return to marginal growth this year after a six-year economic slump.
