Athens in limbo as radical leftist waits in the wings The Leftists argue they can tear up the bail-out and keep the euro, but European leaders say if Greece fails to meet promises, lenders will pull the plug on financing, driving Athens to bankruptcy and a swift exit from the euro. While most Greeks remain adamant the country should not jump out of the single currency, there is a growing feeling that the demise of the old two party system of New Democracy and its socialist rival Pasok is positive. "It had to come, most of us think that the old parties had to die," said Militos Charalampidis, a music student who is emigrating to Finland in August in search of a career. It's a shock for us but we are optimistic there can be a fresh start. Reduced costs of labour either by devaluation from adopting a new Drachma, or by accepting lower wages, is something that Greeks who cannot go abroad appear ready to accept. Mr Charalampidis, 24, said he and friends were working by the hour for less pay and putting in longer working weeks than they had grown up to expect. Greece's new MPs will gather to confirm the interim government and election today in a rump session that is to be the shortest in living memory. But for the markets the wait for a new government will cause strain. As a venerable lawyer educated at Athens German school, Mr Pikrammenos can be expected to do little more than ensure internal order. He was sworn in last night overseen by Greek monks chanting prayers in the presidential palace. Aleka Papariya, the head of the Communist Party, said that the interim government could not make any binding international commitments. Mr Tsipras further bound the hands of the stand-in leadership saying it should adopt no measures that would involve cuts in state salaries or public expenditure. He also demanded a freeze on the sale of state property, a key source of bail-out revenue. One man on the Athens metro said he would welcome any respite: "I would say that we have lived for too long in historically interesting times. It is a curse for us.