ATHENS, Greece (AP) – A senior judge was sworn in Wednesday to head Greece's caretaker government for a month as the debt-crippled country lurches through a political crisis that threatens its membership in the 17-nation eurozone.

The political uncertainty is worrying Greece's international creditors as well as Greeks themselves, who have withdrawn hundreds of millions of euros from banks since the May 6 election. Council of State head Panagiotis Pikrammenos, 67, was appointed earlier Wednesday to head a government that will lack the mandate to make any binding commitments until a new election, which is expected June 17.

About €700 million ($898 million) in deposits have left Greek banks since May 7, the day after the election, President Karolos Papoulias told party leaders after being briefed by central bank governor George Provopoulos. "The situation in the banks is very difficult," Papoulias said according to a transcript of the meeting's minutes released Tuesday night. "Mr. Provopoulos told me that of course there is no panic, but there is great fear which could turn into panic."

Cyprus’ second-largest bank says that it is in talks with the island’s finance ministry and central bank on a possible recapitalization.

Cyprus Popular Bank said in a statement Monday that it is discussing the possibility of a government guarantee on a capital issue to help attract private investors and minimize the amount that the state would have to cover.

Cyprus Popular was the most exposed to Greek debt of the country’s top three banks.

Nicosia, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias says he will not seek re-election because there is little hope the ethnically split island will be reunified by the time his tenure expires in February.

Christofias said Monday his decision fulfills an earlier promise not to run for a second term if long-running talks with breakaway Turkish Cypriots weren't close to a resolution.

"A realistic analysis of the facts leads to the conclusion that there are no real hopes for either resolving the Cyprus issue or achieving substantial progress in the remaining months of my presidency," he said in a nationally televised address.

President Demetris Christofias believes that the demands of modern society and educational reform will be met once the economic problems facing Cyprus are overcome, with patience and good planning.

Speaking at the inauguration of a new gymnasium in southern coastal town of Larnaca in the presence of the Minister of Education and Culture George Demosthenous, President Christofias said that perhaps the most important thing is to shape the citizens' attitude towards gaining knowledge continuously based on the life-long learning principle.

“We live in an era of knowledge and technological explosion,” he said. He also said that modern man should be sensitive and accept diversity, respect religion, the beliefs and homeland of others as he requires others to do so for him.

THE GOVERNMENT is in talks with the new Central Bank governor to launch an in-depth investigation into how the once robust Cypriot banking system has ended up in such dire straits, President Demetris Christofias said yesterday.

Speaking at a conference of bank workers union ETYK in Nicosia, Christofias said the government was “greatly concerned” by the negative impact of the economic crisis on the banking sector.

Noting that the government was already in contact with the CB governor, the president said: “There must be an in-depth investigation into how we got to this point. We must see transparently how we got here and what measures we will take collectively to tackle this unacceptable situation.” Christofias expressed his support to the workers, arguing they were not the ones who created the crisis or hurt the banking system. “Those who seek to unilaterally pass the burden on to the workers need to take that into serious consideration,” he said.