Potami rebuffs Leventis claims of plan to ‘topple’ government

The small Potami party on Wednesday rebuffed claims by Union of Centrists leader Vassilis Leventis that one of its MPs tried to convince him to destabilize the government by opposing the expansion of a cohabitation bill in a recent parliamentary vote.

“When he was outside Parliament, he specialized in wishing people ill, now he’s testing his talents at lying,” Potami said. “You could call that progress,” it added, noting that Potami had expressed its support for boosting the rights of gay couples and had always intended to back the bill.

Earlier in the day, Leventis claimed in comments on ANT1 TV that a Potami MP approached his son a few days before the vote and told him “this is an opportunity to topple the government.”

According to Leventis, the MP claimed that Potami and PASOK had agreed to oppose the bill and, as SYRIZA’s coalition partner Independent Greeks had already said that it would oppose the legislation, there was an opportunity to scupper the bill and shake the government.

In the end the bill passed with the support of SYRIZA, PASOK, Potami and the Union of Centrists.