Political parties

Proposed changes to a bill aimed at overhauling the governance of Greece's local authorities, which are to be submitted to Parliament on Wednesday, foresee the segmentation of constituencies in the capital with the apparent goal of increasing the influence of leftist SYRIZA in those areas.

Amid mounting concerns over the government's survival after repeated threats by Independent Greeks (ANEL), the junior partner in the coalition, to withdraw over the Macedonia name deal, government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos sought to reassure reporters on Wednesday that it will complete its four-year term in office.

İYİ (Good) Party spokesperson Aytun Çıray said the opposition alliance established for the June 24 elections is no longer necessary.

With 92 votes in favour, 12 against and 28 abstentions, lawmakers in Bulgaria's parliament on Wednesday, on a first reading,voted in favour of amendments to the Law for the Compulsory Depositing of Print Media.

MPs now have four weeks to potentially amend the proposal, ahead of the second reading, after which the law would be officially amended.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP) has rejected calls for a snap convention from the party's defeated presidential candidate Muharrem İnce, expressing his frustration over the latter's initiative.

The decision by centrist To Potami lawmakers to break away from the Movement for Change (KINAL) alliance and go it alone - for many reasons that do make sense - has changed the Greek political landscape.

Muharrem İnce, the presidential candidate of the Republican People's Party (CHP), said he urged CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to hold a convention for a change of the party's leadership and offered him to become the honorary leader of the social-democratic party.

Marking a potential crisis in the government, the junior coalition partner in the Greek government, Independent Greeks (ANEL) leader, Panos Kammenos said early on Tuesday that the Macedonia name deal is "bad" and can only be approved through a referendum or via elections.

German Chancellor and leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Angela Merkel (C), the Secretary General of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (L) and German Agriculture minister and Deputy Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Julia Kloeckner look on prior to a party leadership meeting at the CDU headquarters in Berlin, on July 2, 2018.

Theodoros Tosounides, spokesman of the junior coalition partner Independent Greeks (ANEL), said on Monday his party will consider parting ways with ruling left-wing SYRIZA if the government brings to Parliament the name deal clinched with Skopje over the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).