By J. Kampourakis
Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, the head of a small rightist-populist party that props up the current coalition government, on Wednesday called for a convening of the political party leaders’ council under the auspices of the Greek president – all in the wake of possible developments concerning the “name issue” involving the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYRoM).
Kammenos, who is well-known for his hard-line positions on various foreign policy issues dating back to the early 1990s, reiterated, in fact, that he will not vote in favor of a solution that includes the name “Macedonia”.
The statement drew an immediate response from ND deputy Dora Bakoyannis, the former foreign minister and sister of current main opposition New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Bakoyannis Tweeted that “Mr. Kammenos has on two occasions, during the (Costas) Karamanlis government (2004-2009), voted in favor of a (solution) composite name with a geographic qualifier, erga omnes, which is the basic position that was accepted by all of Parliament (except the LA.OS party), and with which we went to Bucharest.”
She was referring to the 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest, where the Karamanlis government, as represented by Bakoyannis, essentially vetoed fYRoM’s accession course towards the alliance.
In a bid to outline any future reaction, Kammenos referred to the 2008 decision by similar party leaders’ council, under the then president of the republic, merely saying that the former decision can only be overturned with a new decision by another such council.
He also lashed out at ND, the party from which he was expelled, and against Bakoyannis.
Finally, in a Delphic reply to Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ recent warning that failure of the nine MPs, belonging to Kammenos’ Independent Greeks (AN.EL) party in parliament, to vote for any fYRoM "name solution" means a loss of the government mandate, the defense minister said:
“In a parliamentary democracy when such a decision is ready to be taken, one path is a vote in Parliament, and another is a more institutional procedure, namely, via the political leaders’ council. No matter what, we, as AN.EL (deputies) will not vote in favor of a name that includes the term ‘Macedonia’. Therefore, if there is a majority (of votes in Parliament) it (whatever solution) will pass … if there is none (a majority vote) it won’t (pass) …”
