In a brief televised statement outside his office on Wednesday afternoon, Greek PM Alexis Tsipras first thanked resigned foreign minister Nikos Kotzias and then reiterated that his decision to assume the foreign minister’s post emphasizes his “determination” to secure ratification of the Prespes accord by Greece’s parliament, an agreement he said upgrades Athens’ geo-political position.
Tsipras then referred to “multiple messages” sent outside and inside the country, saying he will not tolerate dissent in his now decidedly poll-trailing coalition government, nor “personal strategies” in foreign policy relations – viewed as a warning to DM and junior coalition partner Panos Kammenos – nor positions he said endanger the country’s “smooth course” in the post-bailout era.
In warning against dissent in his floundering coalition government, he said he won’t tolerate “double talk”.
Finally, he turning towards Skopje, he encouraged constitutional revisions envisioned in the provisional Prespa agreement by the neighboring country’s legislature, calling for “courage and determination”, but also warning that Greece will never accept the land-locked state’s membership in international organizations – i.e. NATO and the EU – under the stand-alone name of “Republic of Macedonia”.
