The head of the junior right-of-center coalition partner of the leftist Greek government on Wednesday morning demanded the resignation of Migration Policy Minister Yiannis Mouzalas, after the latter referred to a neighboring country by its “stand-alone” constitutional name, instead of the provisional name by which it retains diplomatic relations with Athens, the EU, NATO and the United Nations.
Although the ongoing refugee/migrant crisis that has inundated Greece over the past year or so reached critical dimensions, Mouzalas’ off-the-cuff reference to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYRoM) as “Macedonia” generated immediate political reactions, and the ire of Independent Greeks (AN.EL) party leader Panos Kammenos.
Repeated Greek governments since 1990 have objected to the stand-alone name “Macedonia” for the one-time Yugoslav republic -- the southern rump of former Yugoslavia -- as an irredentist attempt to usurp the name of the Greek province of Macedonia, the area that more closely approximates to historical and geographical Macedonia.
The province, Greece’s largest, borders with fYRoM.
“Mr. Mouzalas should resign. There are no gaffes in politics; gaffes must be paid for,” Kammenos said.
The veteran politician, who holds the defence portfolio in the Tsipras cabinet, made the demand during an appearance on a local television station. He also promised to convene his small party’s parliamentary group on the issue.
Kammenos, who was expelled from the center-right mainstream New Democracy party only to establish a more populist anti-memorandum movement, also said he spoke with PM Alexis Tsipras, with the latter saying he will watch the footage with Mouzalas’ controversial reference.
