“The issue of Macedonia, an issue for which thousands died, does not allow me not to sacrifice the minister’s chair,” Kammenos announced after holding talks with Tsipras on Sunday. Under the deal, agreed last year, the Greek parliament must also ratify the accord, opening the way for Greece’s neighbour to start accession talks with Nato and the European Union. The name was irrevocably linked to Greek civilisation and culture, not least the legacy of the warrior king Alexander the Great, he told reporters. Echoing Kammenos’s conciliatory stance, the Greek prime minister described their collaboration as “honest and sincere … even if, as is known, we come from different political families”. “I think it almost certain that he will secure a majority with the help mostly of Independent Greek MPs who have signalled they will not be towing the party line on the [Macedonia] name deal,” said the political analyst Pandelis Kapsis.

Source: The Guardian January 13, 2019 11:08 UTC