1 of 6. Greece's Prime Minister George Papandreou holds an emergency cabinet meeting at the parliament in Athens November 8, 2011. 
 
 (Reuters) - A deal on forming a Greek national unity government collapsed as the country headed toward an economic abyss and revived early Thursday the chances of former European Central Bank vice president Lucas Papademos heading the coalition. 
 
 Prime Minister George Papandreou said he was handing over to a coalition that does not exist and then failed to install an old-style politician and personal ally as premier. 
 
 On a day that was bizarre and chaotic even by Greek political standards, Papandreou wished his successor well and headed off to meet the president -- only for it to emerge that there was no successor due to feuding in the political parties. 
 
 Papademos, whose candidacy had seemed doomed, insisted that both the socialist and conservative parties sign written undertakings to support Greece's 130 billion euro ($176 billion) bailout, as demanded by the European Union, a government source said. 
 
 The outgoing prime minister had agreed to the terms laid down by Papademos, who as Bank of Greece governor oversaw the country's adoption of the euro in 2002, the source added. 
 
 Papademos made his demands for both major parties to back the bailout package, which includes austerity measures that are likely to prove highly unpopular, amid warnings that Europe is running out of patience with Greece and may cut a financial lifeline that the party leaders seem to take for granted. 
 
 Stefanos Manos, a former finance minister, said the behavior of Papandreou and conservative leader Antonis Samaras was undermining Greece's future in the euro and risking a possible return to the national currency. 
 
 "The Europeans are sick of us. Papandreou and Samaras don't realize they will stop giving us money and we will return to the drachma," said Manos. "They are going to destroy us. These problems demand decision-making. They can't decide on anything and they are fighting like cat and dog." 
 
 Greeks and the nation's international lenders have watched in growing horror for three days as party leaders feuded over a shrinking list of credible candidates to lead the national unity coalition after Papandreou's government imploded. 
 
 Greece will run out of money next month unless the new government agrees emergency funding with the European Union and International Monetary Fund, Greece's last remaining lenders. 
 
 LAST MINUTE SNAGS 
 
 Earlier, party sources said senior members of the socialist and conservative camps had settled on the speaker of parliament, veteran socialist Filippos Petsalnikos, as the new prime minister -- barring last-minute snags. 
 
 Papandreou then gave an emotional television address, supposed to be his last to the nation as premier, saying this deal had saved country's membership of the euro zone. 
 
 "I am proud that, despite the difficulties, we avoided bankruptcy and ensured the country stayed on its feet," he said. "I want to wish the new prime minister success, I will support the new effort with all my strength. 
 
 "Today, despite our differences -- political and social differences do exist -- we have put aside our fruitless conflict and disagreement," Papandreou said. 
 
 Papandreou and Samaras then began talks with President Karolos Papoulias on the new coalition. However, before leaders of smaller parties could join them to seal the coalition, the meeting was abruptly halted. 
 
 But snags had indeed emerged, with large sections of Papandreou's PASOK party and the conservative New Democracy refusing to back Petsalnikos. 
 
 Party sources said some lawmakers saw him as a pawn of Papandreou. "We wanted a strong a man who could handle all the economic issues," a socialist lawmaker said. "This candidacy is so close to Papandreou's policies, it does not signal the change the Greek people wanted." 
 
 The president's office said a meeting of party leaders would be held at 0800 GMT Thursday, although in the current chaotic atmosphere political talks are often delayed or fail to happen at all. 
 
 One of the few things that the parties agreed was that early elections be held on February 19. However, the government sources said that Papademos had also stipulated that the coalition's life could extend beyond that date if necessary. 
 
 The next government has much to do. As well as winning parliamentary approval for the bailout, it has to pass the 2012 budget and secure the latest 8 billion euro installment of Greece's original rescue that was pulled together last year, to avoid bankruptcy when big debt repayments come due in December. 
 
 For its part, the European Union needs to put out the fire in Greece to prove to international financial markets that it can tackle another blaze in Italy, a far bigger economy also in economic and political crisis. 
 
 Some lawmakers backed a return to the earlier plan, which had appeared stalled, of recruiting Papademos to give the new government the credibility that politicians lost long ago. 
 
 "The only solution is Papademos. If he accepts by tomorrow morning we will be able to form a strong government that will pull the country out of the crisis," socialist lawmaker Spyros Vougias told Reuters. 
 
 Papandreou discussed a Papademos candidacy late Wednesday with Samaras, and urged the conservative leader to contact the former ECB policymaker, a government official said. 
 
 GREEKS WANT EUROS -- IN CASH 
 
 Bank of Greece governor George Provopoulos made a rare intervention in Greek politics Wednesday. 
 
 "The uncertainty is hurting the economy and the banking system," Provopoulos told Reuters. "There must be a strong government that will work hard to ensure the country's future in the euro zone." 
 
 Greeks have pulled their savings from banks over the past week because of the deepening political crisis and fear of an exit from the euro, banking sources said. [nL6E7M94KI] 
 
 They withdrew as much as 5 billion euros -- nearly 3 percent of total deposits -- after Papandreou's shock call last week for a referendum on the euro zone bailout, said one banker, who declined to be named. 
 
 "Many people withdrew their money from banks Thursday and Friday and money couriers had a hard time supplying banks with cash to satisfy the emergency demand," said another banking source, who also requested anonymity. 
 
 Papandreou provoked uproar with the plan, due to the likelihood voters would have rejected the package, pushing Greece into bankruptcy and casting doubt on its future in the euro. Under intense pressure from home and abroad, he backed down but was forced to make way for the unity coalition. 
 
 Many wealthy Greeks moved their money into foreign banks last year as the crisis deepened. Now other people are demanding sometimes large amounts in euro banknotes, fearing that any bank savings might be converted into devalued new drachma if Greece is forced to revert to its national currency. 
 
 "We got to the point where customers ordered amounts of up to 600,000 to 700,000 euros in cash to take home -- unbelievable," the first banker said. 
 
 (Additional reporting by Harry Papachristou, Lefteris Papdimas, George Georgiopoulos; and Angeliki Koutantou; Writing by David Stamp; Editing by Jon Hemming) ||||| ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek party leaders are struggling to agree on a new prime minister, despite EU demands that the political class commit itself fast to the nation's financial salvation and end the chaos threatening the entire euro project. 
 
 Monday came and went without any accord on who will lead a new national unity coalition, despite plenty of talk that a former vice president of the European Central Bank, Lucas Papademos, would get the job. 
 
 The cabinet was due to hold an emergency session Tuesday and officials said negotiations were under way on the "100-day coalition" which must win parliamentary approval for a euro zone bailout and save the country from bankruptcy. 
 
 But after an early burst of compromise as the EU turned the screws on both sides, the drive by the socialist and conservative parties to create a government which will rule only until February appeared to be losing momentum. 
 
 Frustration was apparent in Brussels where officials said the new government had to show it was serious about implementing promises Athens has made to its EU and IMF lenders in return for the 130 billion-euro bailout. 
 
 "It is essential that the entire political class is now restoring the confidence that had been lost in the Greek commitment to the EU/IMF program," said EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn. 
 
 Prime Minister George Papandreou provoked chaos last week by calling a referendum on the bailout, a vote which would probably have rejected the package due to its demands for austerity. Papandreou backed down, but was forced into agreeing to make way for the unity coalition. 
 
 BROKEN PROMISES 
 
 Weary of past broken promises from Athens, Rehn said the coalition must "express a clear commitment on paper, in writing, to the EU/IMF program." 
 
 The stakes could not be higher. Greece faces bankruptcy in December when big debt repayments are due, unless it can get hold of more emergency funding soon. For the euro zone, it is a question of credibility with international financial markets. 
 
 For two years it has labored to solve the problems of Greece, a very small part of the bloc's economy, leading to doubts about how it would manage if the debt crisis engulfed the far bigger Italian or Spanish economies. 
 
 What is now a regional crisis could hit the global economy if it goes unchecked, and the United States weighed in with a demand that Greece live up to its responsibilities. "We urge the government to move as quickly as possible to fulfill the commitments," said White House press secretary Jay Carney. 
 
 Greek party officials were tight-lipped about why the naming of the new prime minister, which had been expected Monday, had not happened yet. 
 
 Papademos remained a frontrunner for prime minister. An aide said the Greek economist, who left the ECB last year, had arrived in Athens Monday from the United States where he is a Harvard academic. 
 
 Papandreou has been in touch with Papademos, a senior government official told reporters. 
 
 Papademos oversaw the nation's adoption of the euro in 2002 as Bank of Greece governor before moving to the ECB, and is a well-known figure in European capitals. 
 
 Some Greek media speculated that he was setting tough conditions, demanding greater powers than Papandreou or conservative leader Antonis Samaras were prepared to give. 
 
 A source at the New Democracy party which Samaras leads said it would support the new government but wanted no cabinet posts. 
 
 Current Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos, a member of the PASOK socialist party, could stay in his post for the sake of continuity at a time of crisis, said the source, giving the first indication of who would occupy any of the cabinet posts. 
 
 New Democracy would back the 2012 budget and a bond swap plan contained in the bailout package, under which the value of banks' holdings of Greek government debt will be halved. 
 
 However, PASOK had to hand certain major ministries -- including any involved in running next February's elections -- such as justice, the interior and even defense to non-party technocrats, he said. 
 
 Some Greek media said such demands were a sticking point, with PASOK unwilling to let New Democracy duck out of a government which must take unpopular decisions to tackle a huge budget deficit and make the economy more competitive. 
 
 Greeks have suffered immensely in the two years that Papandreou has run the country. International lenders have demanded wave after wave of pay and pension cuts, plus tax increases and job losses in return for emergency aid. This has helped to keep Greece in four successive years of recession. 
 
 The Communist PAME labor group will hold a rally in Athens on November 10 to oppose a new government which it said "has the task to save the monopolies and crush the popular movement." 
 
 "They want to vote through the new bailout ... which will leave Greek people with their hands tied for many years." 
 
 (Additional reporting by Dina Kyriakidou and George Georgiopoulos, Reuters Brusssels bureau; Writing by David Stamp; Editing by Andrew Roche) ||||| ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's prime minister designate will name a new crisis cabinet Friday to roll out painful austerity measures and calm the political turmoil that has threatened to bankrupt Athens and force it out of the euro zone. 
 
 Greece's two main parties agreed to make Lucas Papademos head of a new unity government Thursday, ending a chaotic search for a leader to save the country from default. 
 
 With a political battle raging in fellow euro member Italy over a similar national unity government, Papademos must now fulfill the terms of a 130 billion euro ($177 billion) bailout plan aimed at keeping Greece solvent. 
 
 He must also ease tension among the Mediterranean state's political leaders, whose wrangling ahead of an election next year has repeatedly roiled global markets and drawn rebuke from the European Union. 
 
 A former European Central Bank policymaker, Papademos must sell off state-owned companies, tackle rampant tax evasion and start chipping away at a mountain of debt under a bailout plan agreed among euro zone leaders last month. 
 
 "The path will not be easy but I am convinced the problems will be resolved faster and at a smaller cost if there is unity, understanding and prudence," Papademos said Thursday. 
 
 Papademos was left working alone in his new prime ministerial office Thursday night after talks on the new government ended with no sign of an agreement. 
 
 Sources in the two parties -- the ruling Socialists and the opposition New Democracy -- said Evangelos Venizelos was likely to remain as finance minister when President Karolos Papoulias swears in the new cabinet, scheduled for 1200 GMT (7 a.m. EST) Friday. 
 
 Papademos's appointment was welcomed by economists who said he was a safe pair of hands who was less likely to waver on tough decisions than politicians loathe to be known as supporters of austerity. 
 
 But the greying 64-year-old faces a struggle against a public that opposes more belt-tightening after years of public sector cuts and tax hikes that are expected to send the economy into a fourth straight year of recession in 2012. 
 
 His cabinet also faces a strike-happy public sector and two main parties that will likely distance themselves from tough measures as they jockey for position ahead of an election penciled in for February 19. 
 
 ROUGH ROAD AHEAD 
 
 European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy hailed Papademos's appointment but urged Greece to push on with tackling a debt load the Commission estimates at 162 percent of annual output this year. 
 
 That is far above the EU debt average of 85 percent of gross domestic product, as well as the 62 percent owed by Argentina when it fell into default in 2001. 
 
 "We have long stressed the need for a broad political consensus around measures to lift Greece out of this deep economic crisis. As such, we warmly welcome this news," the two EU leaders said in a joint statement. 
 
 About 8,000 Communist party supporters marched past parliament Thursday night, chanting "no more austerity." 
 
 Political tussles remain an issue. Sources say New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras nearly torpedoed the unity government agreement after Papademos demanded all parties enact a pledge to push through reforms agreed with Greece's international lenders. 
 
 That followed a bizarre series of actions by outgoing Prime Minister George Papandreou, who called a referendum on the austerity measures he had already agreed with euro zone leaders before reversing the decision under a storm of protest from those same leaders. 
 
 He finally agreed to step down, but only after negotiating a face-saving confidence vote that allowed his party to negotiate a unity government while still in power. 
 
 Analysts said continued political wrangling would undermine Papademos's efforts to meet Greece's financial obligations. 
 
 "I can't see the unions and the population willing to support an unelected technical government that is demanded by the European Union and even more so Germany," said Chris Williamson, chief economist at market research firm Markit. 
 
 "There's the danger that an interim technical government will not be able to implement policy purely because, down the road, there will be general elections and things will be reversed, so there is a great risk of a state of limbo." 
 
 (Reporting by Michael Winfrey; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
– Greece has a new leader, as long as no last-minute obstacles pop up: parliament speaker Filippos Petsalnikos, who founded the ruling socialist PASOK party. Sources confirm that the parties settled on Petsalnikos to lead a unity government after three days of feuding. "We have agreed on Petsalnikos, but things can change between now and when the prime minister sees the president," a source tells Reuters. In a TV address today before meeting with Greece’s president to formally resign, George Papandreou wished the new PM well but did not name him, the Wall Street Journal notes. "I am proud that, despite the difficulties, we avoided bankruptcy and ensured the country stayed on its feet," he added. An idea to recruit former European Central Bank VP Lucas Papademos was ditched after politicians apparently refused to let him choose his own team.