Greek government survives vote over Macedonia deal
ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s left-led coalition government survived a noconfidence vote in parliament Saturday brought over a deal to end a decades-old dispute with neighboring Macedonia concerning the latter’s name.
But the government suffered a loss in its parliamentary majority after lawmaker Dimitris Kammenos of the nationalist Independent Greeks, the government’s junior coalition partner, voted in favor. He was kicked out of the party immediately after the vote, leaving the governing coalition with a three-member majority.
Lawmakers voted 153127 in the 300-member parliament against the motion brought by the conservative main opposition party over the deal to rename the former Yugoslav republic North Macedonia. In the deal, Athens would drop its objections to the country joining NATO and the European Union.
Thousands of protesters rallied outside parliament during the debate, waving Greek flags and chanting anti-government slogans. Scuffles broke out, with riot police firing tear gas to stop protesters from breaching police lines.
Some of the protesters tried to break into the parliament after the vote was over but were pushed back by police. There was one arrest. Riot police chased some of them across the square outside the Parliament. A few flame bombs were thrown by police, and one protester was injured in the leg and taken away by ambulance.
Parliament speaker Nikos Voutsis accused the extreme-right Golden Dawn party and what he called its “shock troops” of being behind the clashes.
The deal reached by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev last week aims to end a bitter dispute that has roiled the two countries’ relations since shortly after Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.
Greece argued the term “Macedonia” implied territorial claims on its province of the same name — the birthplace of Alexander the Great — and usurped its ancient Greek heritage and history.
The deal was met with fury by critics in both countries, who accuse their leaders of conceding too much.
“Hatred toward the country of another is not patriotism,” Tsipras said in parliament.
The agreement will be signed Sunday by the two nations’ foreign ministers at Lake Prespa, near their common border.
Speaking during the debate, Defense Minister and Independent Greeks head Panos Kammenos stressed that voting against the noconfidence motion was not a vote in favor of the Macedonia name deal, which he vowed to reject when it is eventually brought to parliament.
Across the border, Zaev has also met with opposition, with President Gjorge Ivanov saying he will not sign off on the agreement. Zaev has said he will put it to a referendum in the fall.
If Ivanov refuses to sign off, it will be sent back to parliament for a second vote. If it passes again, the president must sign it.
In Greece, the deal faces ratification in parliament after Macedonia completes its part of the process.