The cabinet reshuffle comes two days after junior coalition Democratic Left partner pulled out in protest over the sudden closure of state broadcaster ERT, downsizing the ruling majority in parliament.

According to an announcement by government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou, Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras kept his post in the cabinet reshuffle while socialist PASOK party Evangelos Venizelos assumed the posts of deputy prime minister and foreign minister. Outgoing foreign minister Dimitris Avramopoulos  assumed the post of Minister of Defense.

The two-party coalition government now has a slender majority in parliament; it controls 153 seats of the 300 seats.

The number of ministries in Samaras’ cabinet was increased from 17 to 19.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras sparked a crisis when he decided to abruptly shut down state broadcaster ERT on June 11, which is part of the Greek government’s unpopular austerity measures.

Meanwhile, the nearly 2,700 suspended staff at ERT have continued demonstrations in front of the main broadcaster center in Athens and offices in the northern port city of Thessaloniki.

The Greek government claimed ERT had become a haven of waste. ERT began broadcasting in 1938, running three domestic TV channels, four national radio stations, as well as regional radio stations and an external service, Voice of Greece.

The new cabinet is due to be sworn in Tuesday morning by President Karolos Papoulias during a ceremony at the presidential palace.

He argued that the government is not closing down the public television but creates a truly public television noting that “the new broadcaster will be given to the Greeks as soon as possible,” protothema.gr writes.

He referred to the consolidation efforts carried out in a milder manner, as he said, but “all failed” because the benefits were so institutionalized that any change would have been practically impossible.

The PM attacked ERT’s unionists, which he said has imposed silence in the media noting that the “last few months there was no case where an important foreigner would come to Greece to support our efforts and not fall upon a “random” ERT strike. They were on strike whenever something important and optimistic was taking place.”

As he pointed out, now that the sinful ERT is closed the hypocrisy that brought Greece to this point is erupting. “We have nothing against the employees. I am referring to the circuits that were draining ERT and now do not want to lose their privileges. All employees will be compensated in the most generous way.”

“What you saw these past few days are the last spasms of a regime of privileges,” Samaras added.

Meanwhile, employees of ERT remain in the courtyard of the building protesting against the closing of Greece’s public television. An estimated 7,000 to 10,000 people remained inside and outside the premises of ERT Tuesday night, protothema.gr reports.

Banners and flags of various factions and organizations and collectives of organization were waving alongside each other.

A protest rally is expected to be held today. Meanwhile, officials of the public television appeal to citizens to come to Mesogeion to support them.

Screens went blank in many parts of the country shortly before 11 pm. In Corinth, for example, the broadcasts ceased at 10.50 pm, just after presenters in studio said that riot police could be seen approaching transmitters, enet.gr writes.

The government has circulated a non-paper, calling the move a decision of high symbolism as regards the streamlining of the Greek public sector.

Kedikoglou said that ERT would be replaced by a modern, public but not state-owned broadcasting body. All ERT’s staff will receive the normal redundancy compensation and that the new body will operate with less staff.

During the intervening period between its closure and the launch of the new organisation, the public will not have to pay fees for ERT, he added.

According to tovima.gr, the rumored restructuring of public broadcasting service ERT is causing tension amongst the three government partners. PASOK and DIMAR object ERT shutting down; government claims that both coalition leaders were informed well ahead about the decision.

The two government partners have revealed that the government is considering shutting down ERT and setting up a new public broadcasting service a few weeks later, with reduced staff and 50% less public funding.

The closure was one of the most drastic measures yet to pare down Greek public institutions as part of austerity measures imposed on the country as a condition of its bailout, Reuters writes.