Mitsotakis slams SYRIZA for refusing to back France defense deal

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has criticized the country’s leftist opposition for refusing to back a defense agreement with France. 
 
After clearing the parliamentary committee stage, the deal is expected to be ratified Wednesday by the full Parliament after a debate among party leaders.
 
The ratification is assured, with the parties backing it – ruling conservative New Democracy, center-left coalition Movement for Change (KINAL) and nationalist Greek Solution – having 179 MPs out of a total 300. At least one of the two independent MPs may also back it.
 
All left-wing parties – main opposition SYRIZA, the Greek Communist Party and Diem25 – oppose it, but for different reasons.
 
“Sadly, the partisan blinders prevent some from seeing where the country’s real interests lie,” Mitsotakis said during a dinner with his EU counterparts in Slovenia on Tuesday.
 
Mitsotakis defended the agreement saying that it will reinforce Greece’s geopolitical status while strengthening European efforts to build an autonomous defense pillar within the NATO alliance.