A deputy from the centrist Potami party late on Monday reiterated his pledge to cast a vote of confidence for the leftist Tsipras government in Parliament this week, a statement that subsequently led to his expulsion from the small party.
Spyros Danellis, elected from the Irakleio district on the island of Crete, had long flirted with the ruling party, saying earlier that he would also vote to ratify the Prespa agreement when it comes before the legislature.
His previous statements caused at least one other Potami MP to hint that the party's remaining MPs may reconsider their positive stance towards the bilateral agreement. Potami president and television journalist Stavros Theodorakis had been among the few vocal supporters of the accord among the political opposition. If implemented the agreement would go a long way towards solving the 28-year-old fYRoM "name issue".
Conversely, embattled former defense minister Panos Kammenos received a fillip on Tuesday with the recruitment of a hereunto independent deputy to his vanishing Parliamentary group. Aristidis Focas joined Kammenos' right-wing Independent Greeks (AN.EL) party. Three or four of the seven AN.EL deputies - counting Kammenos - are expected to either ditch the party or be expelled for continuing to support and participate in the government that their party leader quit on Sunday.
Focas was elected to Parliament with the equally small Union of Centrists Party, which he quit.
