Panos Kammenos

Spyros Danellis, a former lawmaker of centrist To Potami, defended his decision to support the government in a no-confidence vote that will be held late on Wednesday, saying it does not mean he is joining ruling SYRIZA.

Greece's deputy prime minister said the government would emerge stronger after winning a confidence vote later on Wednesday and be able to secure parliament's endorsement for an accord to end a dispute over the name of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

Greece's conservative opposition maintains a strong lead over the ruling leftist party, according to a new opinion poll published Wednesday.

The survey by Opinion Poll showed that New Democracy would get 31.5 percent of the vote if elections were held now, versus 16.5 percent for Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's SYRIZA party.

By the look of it, Alexis Tsipras has managed to secure the survival of his government without the participation of Panos Kammenos, whom he allowed to maintain his parliamentary group intact, at least for now.

A tense debate between political leaders in Parliament Tuesday was expected to peak on Wednesday night ahead of a critical vote of confidence in the government which Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is expected to marginally win despite the political upheaval that followed the departure of his junior coalition partner, Independent Greeks (ANEL) leader Panos Kammenos, on Sunday. 

The leader of the centrist Movement for Change (KINAL), Fofi Gennimata, on Tuesday described former defense minister Panos Kammenos's departure from the SYRIZA-led coalition as a premeditated farce, while renewing her call for early elections.

"For us you are a minority government. No, we do not have trust in you," Gennimata told lawmakers on the eve of a confidence vote.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras made an impassioned appeal to Parliament for support on Tuesday, the eve of a confidence vote he is expected to survive by a whisker with the backing of a handful of opposition lawmakers.

Macedonia, which was created when Yugoslavia broke up, was invited to join the alliance in 2008, but its membership was vetoed by Greece, which already has its own province named Macedonia.

Athens claimed that the name made it sound like Macedonia the country has its eyes set on annexing Macedonia the province — or at the least was appropriating Greece's historical heritage.

Two days after his resignation from the government over the name deal between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), former defense minister Panos Kammenos on Tuesday criticized the leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for defending the agreement in Parliament.

Ahead of a no-confidence debate starting in Parliament on Tuesday, independent lawmaker Aristides Fokas announced he is joining the ranks of the Independent Greeks (ANEL).

"We will join the fight with ANEL from now on," he told journalists outside Parliament, standing next to party leader Panos Kammenos.

Fokas was previously an MP with the Union of Centrists.