Independent Greeks

Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos is ?absolutely ready? to govern with SYRIZA if the leftist party wins Sunday?s elections, he said during a news conference on Wednesday.

A Greek government official on Monday dismissed as ?conspiracy theories, lies and slander? that members of the Jewish community in Greece pay less tax than other citizens.

The Education Ministry?s general secretary for religion Giorgos Kalantzis said he was reacting to claims made as part of ?the public debate and, mainly, on the dark side of the Internet.?

A former Independent Greeks lawmaker, Rachil Makri, will be running with leftist SYRIZA in the elections of January 25, it was announced on Friday.

Makri, who was ousted from the nationalist party in November after a rift with leader Panos Kammenos and other members of the right-wing, anti-bailout party, will be running for MP of Kozani in northern Greece.

Ahead of Monday’s third critical presidential vote, government officials were canvassing MPs over the holidays in a last-ditch bid to garner additional support for the coalition’s candidate, former European Commissioner Stavros Dimas, and to avert snap elections.

The prosecutor tasked with probing allegations by Independent Greeks MP Pavlos Haikalis that he was offered a bribe to back the government in presidential elections has concluded that the claims are groundless.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras appeared confident the coalition government will muster the 180 votes in the third round needed to elect its presidential candidate and avert snap elections, after 168 lawmakers in the 300-seat House backed the former European Commissioner Stavros Dimas for the post in the second round of a parliamentary ballot on Tuesday, showing an increase from the 160 ballots

Greek Parliament failed to elect a president for a second time on Tuesday after 168 of 300 MPs voted in favor of the candidate, Stavros Dimas, meaning a third ballot will be needed on December 29.

Comedian Lakis Lazopoulos is due to give evidence today as part of the investigation into claims by Independent Greeks that there was an attempt to bribe one of their MPs.

The lawmaker in question, Pavlos Haikalis, is alleged to have asked for Lazopoulos’s help in improving the quality of the recordings of the two meetings he had with the alleged middleman, Giorgos Apostolopoulos.

Government spokeswoman Sofia Voultepsi accused SYRIZA on Monday of forming a “clear alliance” with Independent Greeks to prevent a president from being elected, which would lead to snap elections.

“What we are seeing is incredible,” said Voultepsi in reference to the recent bribery allegations made by Independent Greeks. She accused SYRIZA of profiting form these claims.

Parliament's ethics committee convened on Friday afternoon to discuss claims by independent Greeks MP Pavlos Haikalis that a middleman tried to bribe him so he would vote for the coalition's candidate in presidential elections.