A veteran conservative lawmaker is sworn in as Greece’s new president

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ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Veteran conservative lawmaker Constantine Tassoulas was sworn in as Greece’s new president Thursday, as the government grapples with lingering public anger over a deadly rail disaster two years ago.

The 65-year-old lawyer and former parliamentary speaker will serve a five-year term in a largely ceremonial role. He succeeds Katerina Sakellaropoulou, a retired senior judge and the first woman to hold the office.

A stalwart conservative, Tassoulas’ election marks a departure from the tradition of seeking cross-party consensus for the presidency.

The center-right government is still dealing with the fallout from a 2023 rail collision that killed 57 people, which sparked strikes and mass protests over a perceived lack of political accountability.

At Thursday’s ceremony, presidential guards in pleated kilts, red caps, and billowing shirts slow-marched past a makeshift memorial outside parliament. The tribute, adorned with candles and flowers, featured the names of the victims scrawled in red paint.

At a handover ceremony, Tassoulas pledged to promote national unity and praised a proposed initiative to bolster Europe’s defense capabilities in response to increasing security threats.

“The European Union is finally moving toward strengthening its collective defense and security, ensuring it can autonomously address threats,” he said. “There is a growing realization that defending all European borders -– land, air, and sea -– is vital to the continent’s overall security.”

Despite maintaining a lead in opinion polls, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has seen his approval ratings dip in recent weeks. He is preparing a Cabinet reshuffle in an effort to restore public confidence, as surveys indicate his government is losing support to fringe far-right parties.

A small left-wing party, Course for Freedom, boycotted Thursday’s swearing-in ceremony in protest of the government’s handling of the rail disaster.