Japan's Prime Minister Taro Aso has promoted economics minister Kaoru Yosano, adding the job of finance minister to his current role.
He fills the vacancy left by the abrupt resignation of Shoichi Nakagawa, who had been forced to deny being drunk at a news conference at the G7 meeting in Rome over the weekend.
Mr Nakagawa said he had sipped some wine with lunch before the G7 press conference but blamed jet lag and cold medicine for his apparent drowsiness.
The appointment of Mr Yosano, 70, may be too late to save the prime minister or the Liberal Democratic Party from voters' wrath.
Mr Aso's public support has plummeted to less than 10% after a string of gaffes and policy flip-flops.
And polls show the LDP is in danger of losing power in an election that must be held by October.
Mr Aso is Japan's third prime minister in less than two years.
He is trying to get parliament to fund an immediate stimulus package and also a record €760 budget for the year to March 2010 to help rescue the economy from recession.
