Independent Greeks party

Ahead of May's European Parliament elections, former socialist prime minister Costas Simitis has lambasted the ruling SYRIZA party as opportunistic and for siding with the right and far-right of the political spectrum to gain power.

Former foreign minister Nikos Kotzias has filed a lawsuit in the Greek Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) with weighty charges against former defence minister Panos Kammenos.

History is littered with all manner of what-ifs, which remain unanswered and are only discussed by historians and armchair pundits.

I was thinking the other day how different things would have turned out for Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Greece if he had been wiser in his selection of coalition partners and government officials from the outset.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is seriously thinking about accepting into the Syriza Parliamentary group those independent deputies who have been helping his government pass important legislation, after former partner Panos Kammenos and his Independent Greeks party bolted the coalition.

Former foreign minister Nikos Kotzias indicated on Monday that he is planning to sue his onetime cabinet colleague, former defense minister Panos Kammenos, over recent comments by the latter accusing Kotzias of corruption.

"The prosecutor will deal with that gentleman," Kotzias told News 24/7.

Financial analysts are expressing worries that the prospect of a general election could lead to a fiscal derailment with stagnation, if not backtracking on reforms, given the departures of some government officials from the ruling coalition who belong to the Independent Greeks party.

Macedonia's Foreign Ministry on Monday said it has received "assurance" from Greece that the government of Alexis Tsipras, which faces a confidence vote this week, will push through ratification of the historic "name" agreement in parliament.

Beta agency reported this on Monday, citing an article published in Moscow-based daily Kommersant.

The newspaper, however, noted that there are now difficulties in the Greek parliament, which also needs to ratify the Prespa agreement. Namely, the Independent Greeks party opposes it and has left the ruling coalition.

Greece's defence minister, who is head of the main coalition partner of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, announced his resignation on Sunday ahead of the upcoming parliamentary vote to end a 27-year name dispute with Macedonia, reported AFP

Defense Minister Panos Kammenos has announced the cancellation of a meeting with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Friday where the government partners were expected to discuss the future of the leftist-led coalition.