Syriza, Independent Greeks relations on the brink

The relationship between Syriza and its ruling coalition partner, the Independent Greeks party, are on the brink, as there are differences between the two parties on crucial issues that appear difficult to bridge.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos discussed an array of issues on 15 March, amidst a war of words on various issues between MPs of the two parties.

Kammenos is reportedly extremely disturbed by Tsipras’ overtures towards To Potami party leader Stavros Theodorakis, ostensibly regarding a proposal to establish a Greek National Security Council, which is part of Kammenos’ remit as defence minister. However, many saw the talks as an opening to a parliamentary cooperation, in the event that Kammenos pulls out of the government.

Kammenos appears convinced, and not without reason, that the PM has sidelined him on two critical foreign policy issues, relations with Turkey and the Macedonia naming issue.

Kammenos regards the PM’s decision to discuss with Skopje a composite name using the word Macedonia as a casus belli, in large measure because he is intent on confronting with the nationalism card polls that show his party not mustering the requisite three percent of the popular vote to make it into the next parliament.

On the Greek-Turkish front, Kammenos’ move to refer to two Greek army officers imprisoned in a Turkish jail as “hostages” has caused consternation in the Syriza camp, which wants to settle the issue without magnifying it.

A number of Syriza MPs have openly criticised Kammenos on his positions.

Syriza’s former education minister and prominent MP Nikos Filis dismissed Kammenos’ references to hostages as a “personal opinion” that “does not reflect the position of the government”, even though he is the competent minister to handle the matter, which appears to have been assigned by the PM to the left-wing Alternate Defence Minister, Fotis Kouvelis.

Kammenos a New Democracy ‘creation’

In a televised discussion with former New Democracy foreign minister Dora Bakoyanni, Filis dismissed Kammenos as “your creation, a creation of the Mitsotakis [Bakoyannis’ late father who served as PM] family”. “We did not create him,” Filis said, in an unprecedented attack on the coalition partner that allowed Syriza to rule for the last three years.

Kammenos’ party gag order
Kammenos’ move to issue a gag order on all his MPs ahead of tomorrow’s meeting of his parliamentary group stirred a political sensation, triggering all manner of speculation on the fate of the ruling coalition.

Kammenos instructed his MPs to avoid any comment to the press ahead of tomorrow’s meeting, as he is preparing to make important announcements.

The relationship between the two parties was aggravated by the recent incident with businessman Ivan Savvidis, as Kammenos had closer ties to the Greek-Russian entrepreneur, who recently stormed onto the football field where his PAOK F.C. was playing, armed with a gun in its holster. Kammenos and his MPs have either kept silent on the affair or come out in support of Savvidis.

The affair has caused a political maelstrom and even raised the spectre of a Grexit from FIFA, which would be devastating for Greek football.

in.gr