Alexis Tsipras, the Greek prime minister, faces a confidence vote in parliament next week after the ruling Syriza party’s coalition partner announced it was pulling out of the government. Alexis Tsipras is a Greek politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Greece and the Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2015…
Alexis Tsipras, the Greek prime minister, faces a confidence vote in parliament next week after the ruling Syriza party’s coalition partner announced it was pulling out of the government.
Background
Alexis Tsipras is a Greek politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Greece and the Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2015 and October 2018, respectively.
A socialist, Tsipras has been the leader of the Greek political party Syriza since 2009. Tsipras is the fourth Prime Minister who has governed in the course of the 2010s Greek government-debt crisis. Originally an outspoken critic of the austerity policies implemented during the crisis, his tenure in office has been marked by frugality, mostly in the context of the third EU bailout to Greece (2015–18).
The use of the name “Macedonia” is disputed between the southeastern European countries of Greece and the Republic of Macedonia, formerly a state within Yugoslavia. The dispute arises from the ambiguity in nomenclature between the Republic of Macedonia, the adjacent Greek region of Macedonia and the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon (which falls mostly within Greek Macedonia). Citing historical and irredentist concerns, Greece opposes the use of the name “Macedonia” by the Republic of Macedonia without a geographical qualifier such as “Northern Macedonia” for use “by all … and for all purposes”.
On 12 June 2018, an agreement was reached between Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev, where the Republic of Macedonia could be renamed the “Republic of North Macedonia”.
Analysis
Greece’s ruling coalition is on the verge of breaking as the right-wing coalition partner of Greek PM has threatened to withdraw support over Macedonia’s recently renaming. The move by Independent Greeks (Anel), a small rightwing nationalist party, had been expected since Panos Kammenos, the defence minister and Anel leader, declared his opposition to Greece’s naming deal with neighbouring Macedonia.
Mr. Kammenos’s decision to leave the four-year-old coalition came after the Skopje parliament voted on Friday to approve constitutional changes renaming the country the Republic of North Macedonia and opening the way for it to begin talks this year on joining Nato and the EU.
Since Macedonia’s independence in 1991, Greece has blocked the country in international forums, arguing that its name entailed territorial ambitions on the neighbouring Greek province of Macedonia. Zoran Zaev, Macedonia’s prime minister, and Alexis Tspras, Greece’s prime minister, made resolving the dispute a priority over the past 12 months.
However, nationalists in both countries have been up against the deal, which has yet to be ratified by the Greek parliament. “The issue of Macedonia is such that I can’t avoid stepping down from my cabinet post,” Mr. Kammenos said after meeting with Mr. Tsipras at the premier’s office. “It’s with a heavy heart that we won’t back the confidence votes since it will lead to the Prespa agreement [on Macedonia’s name] taking effect,” he added.
Mr. Tsipras said he accepted Mr. Kammenos’s resignation and would accept those of other Anel cabinet members. He said the armed forces chief of staff would take over as defence minister. The Greek premier faces a challenging task to rally enough votes for Syriza to win the confidence vote. His party controls 146 out of 300 seats in parliament and was counting on support from the small centre-left Potami party and Anel dissidents in order to ratify the Macedonia agreement.
It was unclear how many of Anel’s seven lawmakers would vote against the confidence motion. At a party meeting, only two backed Mr Kammenos’s position, according to Greek media reports. Mr. Tsipras was due to make an address to supporters of the government’s position on Macedonia later on Sunday. A parliamentary spokesman said the confidence debate would begin with a vote to be taken on 17 January.
Assessment
Our assessment is that if the ruling coalition breaks, Greece will slip into turmoil with a rapidly shrinking economy and a largely ineffective reform program. We believe that the confidence vote will pass as many legislators of the Greek Independents party have not publicly supported withdrawing from the coalition.
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