Papademos favourite to head ‘100-day coalition’

A FORMER deputy head of the European Central Bank emerged yesterday as frontrunner to become Greek prime minister, as party leaders bargained over who will lead a “100-day coalition” to push through a bailout before the nation runs out of money.

Under EU pressure, an unaccustomed spirit of compromise seeped into Greek politics as the top parties haggled over the jobs in a government which will run Greece only until early elections in February.

A source at the opposition conservatives said nothing had been agreed yet with the ruling socialists on who should lead the government of national unity, and refused to comment on speculation that former ECB vice-president Lucas Papademos would get the job.