Conservative and former parliament speaker Konstantinos Tassoulas sworn in as Greece's new president

Conservative Greek lawmaker Konstantinos Tassoulas was sworn in as Greece's new president on Thursday, as the government grapples with ongoing public anger over a deadly rail disaster two years ago .

The 65-year-old lawyer and former speaker of parliament 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 post.

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

At Thursday's ceremony, presidential guards in pleated dresses, red hats and bright shirts slowly walked past a makeshift memorial outside Parliament. The tribute, adorned with candles and flowers, featured the names of the victims scrawled in red paint.

After his election last month, Tasoulas pledged to promote national unity.

“Greece must further enhance its international standing, while also striving for progress and confidence at home,” he said. “I believe these goals are widely shared by the Greek people.”

Despite leading in opinion polls, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has seen his approval ratings plummet in recent weeks. He is preparing a cabinet reshuffle in an attempt to restore public trust, as polls show his government losing support to far-right parties.

A small left-wing party, the Course for Freedom, and the far-right Greek Solution boycotted Thursday's swearing-in ceremony in protest at the government's handling of the rail disaster.

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