A lawmaker from Independent Greeks (ANEL) resigned on Tuesday over the Macedonia Agreement. The resignation leaves Tsipras’ coalition partner ANEL with just seven lawmakers and puts to government majority at risk. It is the second MP out of ANEL in the last ten days.
MP Giorgos Lazaridis who is elected in Thessaloniki submitted his resignation on Tuesday and it looks as if he will not return his seat to ANEL but will continue as “independent lawmaker.” He cited the Macedonia Agreement as reason for his resignation.
Lazaridis had supported the government against the no-confidence motion submitted by main opposition New Democracy beginning of June and practically authorized the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister to sign the Macedonia Agreement in Prespes.
Then, on a rainy day morning, he came to his senses and realized that he does not agree with the way the coalition deals with the name issue?
On June 21st, ANEL MP Giorgos Sgouridis denounced that three ANEL lawmakers were have been receiving “death threats.” Sgouridis named himself, Lazaridis and Katsikis.
Whatever the pressure Lazaridis bowed to, fact is that the SYRIZA-ANEL has now just 152 lawmakers in the parliament of 300.
The needed majority of 151 MPs is highly at risk, should one or more nationalist ANEL lawmakers are to be affected from the … rainy weather.
ANEL leader and Defense Minister, Panos Kammenos, had said from the very first moment that his party will not support an agreement with FYROM if it contains the term “Macedonia.” However, he has stressed that he would remain in the coalition and would not bring down the government over the Macedonia Agreement.
The ANEL leader expelled MP Dimitris Kammenos after he voted in favor of the no-confidence motion, a day before the signatures in Pespes.
The Agreement will not come for ratification in the Greek Palriament before FYROM has changed its Constitution and complied with the terms & conditions of the agreement. In Skopje, the President vehemently rejects to ratify the agreement although it passed through the Parliament.
Kammenos had recently estimated that the Agreement would come to the Greek Palriament sometime in 2019.
Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, has repeatedly said that next parliamentary elections will be held in autumn 2019, when the government completes its four-year term.
Unless, he loses the Palriament majority earlier…
Losing the Parliament majority before the country exits the 3. bailout program on 18. August will certainly have a negative impact.
