Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Silvan Shalom will exchange portfolios on Thursday, after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed to give Netanyahu an unprecedented mandate to save the economy. Netanyahu laid down several conditions, including receiving the status of acting prime minister when Sharon is abroad, heading the socio-economic cabinet, and obtaining control of the Government Companies Authority. Sharon had not responded to these conditions by press time.
| Drives a hard bargain, doesn't he? Ummm... What about what's good for the country? (Can't believe I said that. I'm so naive...) |
Netanyahu at first turned down Sharon's offer of the Finance portfolio, saying he was only interested in remaining foreign minister. Sources close to him said he changed his mind after it was made clear to him that he would in effect become "prime minister of the economy," with the authority to completely change economic policies.
| I'm not sure the Finance portfolio is big enough for Bibi's ego... |
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